Assignment
by Prinzack
Summary: Tenten has been assigned a mission to become an undercover Akatsuki member as a spy for Konoha. However, when Deidara is then assigned to "take care" of the new member, problems begin to arise.
1. Surprise

**Disclaimer:** _Naruto_ and all of its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto, and only Masashi Kishimoto. (Much to my dismay)

**Spoilers:** Probably around Chapter 277 in Naruto, and spoilers will probably continue onward from that/those chapters.

* * *

**Summary:** _Tenten has been assigned a mission to become an undercover Akatsuki member to spy on their actions and plans. However, when Deidara is also assigned to "take care" of the new member, problems begin to arise._

-- **  
Chapter 1:** Surprise  
--

It wasn't the easiest of days, Deidara had to admit. He'd lost the nine-tailed fox and his partner had been killed. Hell, he even lost both his arms thanks to that damned fox boy. The Boss'll be eating him out for weeks on this one, and this blonde was not looking forward to it.

After—disdainfully—calling for help, Akatsuki sent a dark-haired, overly energetic man wearing an orange mask to Deidara's rescue. Man, was "overly energetic" an understatement. It was like this guy lived on sugar pills. The Boss sure had strange tastes when it came to recruitment.

Tobi, the makeshift partner, grabbed Deidara's loose pieces—or more specifically his arms—and followed the limping blonde back to the Akatsuki hideout. Deidara ignored the pain that shot through his body with every jump; he was too determined to get back to the base (wherever the hell it was) to care. Walking around without arms was going to be difficult, especially since they were his weapons. He had to get back to the hideout to fix that problem, and the fact that it was so hard to find was really pushing it. It's certainly a pain to be an S-ranked criminal; you have to live in a base found in the middle of freakin' nowhere.

"Goodness, Mr. Deidara!" Tobi exclaimed in the middle of a jump, "How do you manage to go so far without these? Surely you have some balancing issues." He lifted Deidara's arms and gave a hearty laugh, warranting a glare from the blonde.

Judging by his wonderful memory and disability, it would probably take a little less than a week to get to his destination. A week of traveling, armless and with a talkative clown.

Betraying his country and joining such an infamous group had better be worth all this crap.

--

As soon as he stepped into the base, he was greeted by a pale, stitched face and a pair of beady black eyes.

"What a welcoming face you have, Kakuzu, yeah?" Deidara remarked sarcastically, brushing past the walking corpse.

Kakuzu ignored the blonde's indirect insult. "I assume you'll be needing my help," he grumbled as Tobi shoved a pair of arms into his face.

Deidara threw him a glare and a frown, then continued walking.

"I'll meet you in my room, then."

"Yes, _dearest_," Deidara called with a raised upper arm.

Upon entering Kakuzu's room, Deidara flopped onto the nearest couch and shook off the remainder of his tattered cloak. He stuck out his arm stubs and frowned down at them. Damn that fox boy for taking both his arms and leaving him vulnerable.

"Sit still," Kakuzu more or less commanded as he walked through the door, Tobi following close behind.

Deidara groaned. "What, pumpkin-face has to watch?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Deidara," Tobi said with a laugh, "I'll keep you occupied while Mr. Kakuzu fixes you up."

Deidara groaned once again, then sat back against the couch. He looked around the dark room as his left arm was stitched back together. He felt Kakuzu's weird black strings crawl across his skin and dig through his flesh. His eyes darted around the room, entertaining him by scanning through the assorted body parts that had accumulated on the walls over the years.

"I didn't know you had a hobby of collecting... things," he commented with a snort.

"If that's what you want to call it," Kakuzu replied, his voice scratchy and low. "I'm finished."

Deidara looked at his arms in slight alarm. Not only did he not feel any discomfort, besides a few tickles from the strings, the job was also done in a matter of seconds. He wiggled his fingers, then smiled widely.

"Hey, thanks ma-"

"Now get out." Kakuzu stood up and motioned to the door.

"Sheesh, what a stiff, yeah?" Deidara muttered under his breath as he scooped up his cloak and left the room.

Tobi followed his senior eagerly, exaggerating each step with a little hop. He watched the blonde throw on his ruined cloak.

"Oh, Mr. Deidara, sir," he began.

"What is it, Tobi?" Deidara asked, his eyes still glued to his re-attached arms.

"Mr. Leader told me to tell you that he needed to see you after you got..." Tobi paused and put a finger to his mask where his lips would be, "patched up."

The corners of Deidara's lips turned down. "Aw, geez," he groaned, "Now I'm going to get my ears talked off."

"He wants you to meet him in his room," Tobi finished before turning away from Deidara and retreating from the hall.

Deidara pulled a clammy hand down his face and sighed heavily. The Boss never had private chats with anyone unless it was either extremely important or he was going to lecture them about how they failed and how it would set his world domination plan back. Deidara already had both kinds of private chats and he wasn't looking forward to repeating either of them.

Nevertheless, he trudged toward the dining room, glaring at the door as it came into view. It was better to go through Boss's speech than to ignore his special request to speak with you.

Continuing to glare at the door, Deidara pushed through and entered the room. For a moment, he stood in the entrance as the last rays of light disappeared with the door closing behind him. He blinked twice, and twice more, to adjust to the dark. Mysterious Mr. Leader was always a shadow, one way or another. What made him even creepier was that his eyes always glowed a bright orange, even in the darkest of places.

After a few minutes of silence, Deidara finally spoke up. "You called for me?"

A pair of wide orange eyes peered at the blonde through the darkness.

"Yes," came his distorted voice, "I'm glad you made haste in coming."

"Naturally."

"You may already know, as you were in a similar situation, that Sasori has fallen."

Deidara remained silent at the mention of his ex-partner.

"I don't need to remind you of my disappointment, am I correct?"

"No, you don't."

"I thought not." The orange glow from Leader's eyes faded as he closed them. "To make up for your failure, I ask that you care for our newest member."

"I think pumpkin-face can take care of himself," Deidara muttered with a scoff.

"Tobi is not our newest member."

Deidara's eyes shot up. "Wait, another one?" he asked with a frown. "I thought Tobi was enough to replace Sasori."

A sinister chuckle ripped through the silence that followed the blonde's outburst. "Oh, this one was necessary."

"_You_ deemed him necessary, you mean."

"I trust you'll take care of the newcomer?"

With a click of his tongue, the blonde nodded his reply.

"Return to your room, Deidara. I think you'll find a pleasant surprise there."

No other retorts came across Deidara's mind, so he hastily made his way out of the room. The immediate contact with light blinded him for a few seconds before he blinked and continued to his room, his battered cloak flowing behind him. His steps quickened as he neared the door, then faltered as he reached for the handle. Only then did the "surprise" come across his mind. What had Leader planned for his return? A punishment, perhaps?

Without another thought, Deidara closed his eyes, took a short breath, and pushed open the door.

"Hello?"

It was a woman's voice; a young woman, no older than twenty-five, he guessed. He heard her light footsteps approach him.

"May I ask why your eyes are closed?"

She sounded uncertain and perhaps a little nervous. What kind of stunt was the Boss trying to pull? Did Leader think he needed a squeeze or something?

"Hello?" the young woman repeated, now sounding a little irritated.

Deidara slowly opened one eye, then the other. At least she'd be an attractive squeeze. She was a young woman with dark brown eyes and shiny brown hair that went a little further than her shoulders. Most of her body was hidden by Akatsuki's famous black cloak, decorated with red clouds. He could still tell, however, that though her body frame was somewhat small, her... assets... were graciously full.

She would be a _very _attractive squeeze. Boss sure was generous when it came to women.

"Hey," he finally replied, "are you my surprise?"

Her eyebrows went up and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "What?"

His mouth curled into a sly smirk as his eyes roamed her body shamelessly.

The young woman frowned and her cheeks burned hotly. "If you're done undressing me with your eyes, I'd like to know your name," she muttered.

"Ah, of course!" Deidara laughed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "The name's Deidara. Now tell me yours, yeah?"

"Kaiyan." she answered flatly.

"I think I'll call you 'Kai' instead, yeah?"

Kai furrowed her brow in frustration, but she nodded.

"Judging by your earlier response, you're not my squeeze," Deidara said, a little disappointed and changing the subject. "So what are you doing here?"

"I'm a member."

Of course she was a member. The cloak said it all before she even opened her mouth to answer. Still, Deidara's eyebrows went up. A _female _member? Boss must've been in his dark little room way too long. What good was a girl outside of the bedroom or kitchen? What did she do to make her way in?

"Do not mock me," Kai said in a lowered voice. "You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to."

The blonde's mouth curled up into a smirk once again. She had a smart mouth to accompany her lovely appearance. Clever girls were always amusing, especially after they've succumbed to Deidara's irresistible charm.

As the girl walked past him to close the door, Deidara took this chance to walk up behind her and pin her against the wall. He swiftly turned her around to face him, nose to nose.

"Oh, I'm sure you're capable of great things, yeah?" he whispered into her ear.

He felt her shiver under his grasp, ever so slightly, and it made him giddy. It was certainly surprising when she reached out and pulled him closer. Maybe he was better than he thought. Is it possible to be too good?

"ACK!"

Guess not. As soon as she pulled him in, she immediately brought her knee up to his... tender parts, leaving him quivering on the floor.

Kai's hands flew up to her mouth as she blushed and stuttered, "S-sorry, sir," then opened the door to run out.

Deidara, with a hand still holding his crotch, stumbled out after her. He stopped and looked out into the empty hallway.

"Tch. Damn woman," he grumbled. "Just wait 'til she gets back."

"What'd you do to the poor girl?"

Deidara turned around briskly, falling back when his face met the blade of a scythe.

"I don't know what you mean, Hidan," he said, regaining his balance and pushing the blade away.

The silver-haired man laughed and leaned against his massive weapon. "Don't be stupid, kid. A flustered girl just ran by and I see you holding your extremities with a delightfully pained expression on your face."

Due to Hidan's immortality, he often acted superior, or old, around Deidara. The blonde didn't appreciate it when he was denounced.

"I... fell."

"Odd way to fall, eh Deidara?"

"Shut up, yeah?"

Deidara wouldn't take this from an over-religious immortal like Hidan. Instead of hearing any more from him, Deidara went back into his room and slammed the door behind him. He blew away a few stray strands of hair, frustrated.

What did Leader expect him to do? He wasn't a babysitter, and he wasn't a very patient person either—albeit, more patient than Sasori was. He wondered how long he would be "taking care" of this new member. This was definitely a good punishment. Damn the Boss.

Perhaps it was time for a shower, he quickly decided. A shower and a clean change of clothes would be good for a tiring day like today.

--

The Akatsuki hideout was difficult to find, and when found, difficult to enter. It was, however, worth the stay, even if for short amounts of time. Most of the halls were brightly lit with many torches, and the living quarters were large and had all the necessities.

Deidara's room was decorated according to his taste and needs. The most unique features in his room were the assorted blocks of clay and his desk, where he made clay figures or new explosive designs in his spare time. Another thing that made his quarter different from the others' were his works of art that were scattered around the room, residing on shelves and tables.

But aside from all that, he was just glad that each quarter had its own bathroom. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to bathe with any of the other members... besides Kai. Bathing with a female probably wouldn't be that bad. In fact, maybe not bad at all.

The blonde continued to wonder about bathing with the opposite sex while the warm shower water massaged his dirtied skin. He washed himself down, from his hair to his still-sore...to his toes. Finally, he stood still, leaning against the wall, and watched the dirty soap water circle down the drain. Whenever he showered, he liked to just feel the water trickle down his body. It gave him a sense of comfort and peace, so different from the rest of the world around him.

His peaceful state of mind was broken when he heard a door open and close. Someone had entered his room.

With a heavy sigh, Deidara turned off the shower head and stepped out of the shower, throwing a towel around his hips. He reached out for a second towel, but found that it wasn't there.

"Damn it."

He poked his head out of the bathroom and found Kai sitting on the couch, polishing a weapon of some sort. With another quieter curse, he sighed.

"Hey Kai, help me out, yeah?"

Kai looked up from her weapon and, visibly against her will, blushed. How many times had this girl blushed already?

Not enough, he decided with a grin.

"What do you need?"

Flexing a few aching muscles, Deidara smiled and answered, "I need another towel."

The corners of Kai's mouth twitched, then formed a frown. "What do I look like, your personal maid?"

"I think you owe me one," he said, "I don't really appreciate you kneeing my 'twins' into my stomach."

She said nothing in reply and only resumed her polishing.

"Please?" He put on his best pout.

Kai sighed and put her katana down on the table beside her. Standing, she took another glance at the dripping blonde before leaving the room to complete her task.

Deidara couldn't stop smirking. She was obviously pleased with his ever-so-toned body, and he was pleased that her cool front was so easily washed away. Perhaps this assignment wasn't going to be such a punishment after all.

* * *

"Thank you, Zetsu, sir."

"It is no problem, Miss Kaiyan," Zetsu's light half replied.

Kaiyan had known Zetsu longer than the other members. He was assigned to teach her about Akatsuki as a newcomer while Deidara was away on a mission. Zetsu was definitely one of the strangest men she'd ever met. Not only did he look strange, with the two leaf-looking things sticking up on either side of his head and his two skin colors, was he also schizophrenic?

After talking to him a few times, she'd come to give nicknames to each of his halves. Bai-Zetsu for his light half, and Hei-Zetsu for his dark half. She never said the names aloud, but it amused her to have the names floating around in her mind.

"It seems Deidara already has you on a leash," Hei-Zetsu snickered.

Kaiyan shook her head. "No, it's more of a favor."

He sneered. "Keep telling yourself that, _darling_."

Zetsu pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I apologize, Miss Kaiyan," Bai-Zetsu said with a frown. "I'm sure we didn't mean that."

Hei-Zetsu gave a "Hmph," but Kaiyan thanked him again and left to find Deidara's room.

Though the hallways were long and the doors all looked the same, Kaiyan knew where to go. She had to admit that her sense of direction was one of her best characteristics, among others. Also, Deidara's chakra was hard to miss. It seemed all of his chakra flowed into his hands. Perhaps it had to do with his hobby, or his method of fighting, or... whatever.

She approached the wooden door and knocked once, making sure he wasn't nude or otherwise unpresentable. The door opened with Deidara still wearing only a towel around his waist. She would have considered this unpresentable, but _he_ thought otherwise.

"Kai, what a pleasant surprise."

He grinned at her, and she pursed her lips, throwing the retrieved towel at his head.

He pulled the towel from his matted hair. "Gee, thanks," he muttered sarcastically.

Giving no reply, she returned to the couch and grabbed her katana, swiftly going back to where she'd left off. From the corner of her eye she watched Deidara. She watched him dry his hair, pull out his clean clothes from his closet, set his clothes on his bed, and settle down in a chair in front of his desk. He immediately grabbed a chunk of clay from a block beside him and began molding.

"Like what you see, yeah?" he asked suddenly, making her jump.

She became flustered and hid her face behind her hands. "I wasn't loo-"

"Don't worry, I'm used to it." He turned to give her a sly smile, then went back to his work.

"Conceited bastard..."

"Ouch, kid. I have feelings too, you know."

Kaiyan muttered incoherently under her breath and went back to polishing, still glancing up every now and then at the blonde. He still wasn't wearing anything but a towel, she noted, but it didn't really bother her. He wasn't bad to look at, she had to admit, but he really did have an ego the size of a mountain.

Soon, she had stopped what she was doing and was just staring at Deidara's back. With her knees tucked under her chin, and her chin resting on her knees, she stared.

Without thinking, she asked, "When are you going to put on your clothes?"

Deidara turned around, eyebrows raised and mouth slightly agape. His surprised expression didn't linger too long, for his open mouth quickly turned up into a smirk. "Do you really _want_ them on?" he asked, giving her a wink.

Kaiyan blinked. This guy was incorrigible. Everything she made the mistake of saying would be twisted by him, no matter how innocent her statements were.

Seeing her unamused expression, however, Deidara's smirk faded away.

He sighed. "I don't like putting on my clothes while I'm still wet. It's uncomfortable, so I wait until I'm dry."

She looked up at him in slight surprise of his decent answer. "Oh."

"But seeing as how it's making you uncomfortable," he continued, getting out of his seat, "I'll put on my clothes."

Kaiyan smiled and grasped her katana once again. Her smile faltered when Deidara started to unwrap his towel... in front of her.

"W-wait!" she stuttered. "You can't just...!"

Deidara laughed. "I was just joking, yeah?"

He disappeared into his bathroom, where she heard the shuffle of clothing. A relieved sigh escaped her mouth, then a yawn. It was late, and all the "excitement" with Deidara had worn her out.

"Good night, sir," she said, opening the door.

Deidara reappeared, fully clothed and visibly disappointed.

"Aw, you're not staying the night?"

She frowned at him.

"Ah, another joke," he said with raised hands in his defense. "But yeah, see ya tomorrow."

She gave him a curt nod and turned to leave.

"By the way, don't call me 'sir' anymore," he called as he flopped onto his bed. "'Deidara' sounds better for a guy like me, yeah?"

Kaiyan turned to him with a small smile. "Yeah."

Closing the door behind her, she made her way through the halls and, soon, out of the base. Once outside and away from the entrance of the secret hideout, she crouched to the floor and looked around, searching for chakra, or people, that may be nearby. Nothing. Her hand dug into her pockets for a blank scroll and some ink. Dipping a finger into the black ink, she scribbled a quick message, then held her arm out. She heard the beating of wings and waited until a small bird flew onto her arm and pecked at her fingers. Glancing back once, she tied her message around the bird's claw and watched as it flew away into the night.

Kaiyan stood up and looked at the stars that decorated the black sky, so far away from where she was. Only the stars would know her true self, for they are as heavenly as her given name. Tenten would remain undercover for as long as necessary.

"Day seventeen: complete."

--  
**End Chapter 1**  
--

* * *

**A/N:** Kaiyan is Tenten in disguise, if anyone failed to catch that bit. **;3 **  
Also, the Akatsuki base I put in there isn't the real one. I just had to make it up, since they didn't really seem to have one... So imagine it to be real, yeah?

Okay, so first piece is now complete! How did I do? I can take constructive criticism, I promise. In fact, I encourage it. (I practically decided to join and post stories because I wanted to improve my writing. **:D**) So yeah, **Read **_**and**_ **Review** (a.k.a. R&R).

Let me tell you right now that I won't be updating consistently. I have to balance tons of homework, drawing, writing, and taking care of household tasks. Don't give up on me if I take forever!


	2. Apology

**Disclaimer:** _Naruto_ and all of its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

**Spoilers:** Begin around Chapter 277 in _Naruto_, and spoilers will probably continue onward from that/those chapters.

* * *

**Previously:** _Deidara returns from his mission to get the one-tailed demon, Shukaku. When he meets Tenten, they're off to a rocky start, but begin to patch up bad first impressions after all._

--  
**Chapter 2:** Apology  
--

The next day came as smoothly as the last. Tenten woke up as soon as the sun rose and prepared herself for the day. After washing up, she opened the doors of her closet and looked at her cloak. No, not just looked. Tenten glared at her cloak.

The cloak was an unspoken name for any member of the Akatsuki. Wherever you went, people knew you—or at least who you were with-- and they feared you. Even the strongest of men had a glint of fear in their eye. Tenten was part of all this now, part of Akatsuki, and she, too, was branded by this cloak.

And there she stood: branded. With a last glance at the mirror, she rolled up her sleeves and strolled out of the room. Her first "mission" as a newcomer had to do with basic household chores: making dinner, cleaning rooms, patching up torn clothing, etc. Even though it seemed trivial for an Akatsuki member to do such things, someone had to do them—and who better to do the deed than the new members?

This week's assignment was to make breakfast with Tobi. In the hallway, she spotted a familiar orange mask and mess of spiky hair.

"Ah, Tobi!" she called, running up to the fellow newcomer.

Tobi spun around, most likely happily, and took her hands.

"You're up early too, Miss Kai." he sang, swinging their arms from side to side.

"Of course, the others will appreciate an early breakfast." She smiled at him and started towards the kitchen.

"Ah, but some of them don't wake up 'til much later."

"That's okay, we'll work on the food for the early birds first."

"Good idea!"

The pair began working in the kitchen, with Tenten cooking and Tobi preparing. It wasn't difficult, for the refrigerator was (somehow) well-stocked. Because Tobi had been a member longer than Tenten, he knew a bit more than she when it came to doing the chores, so she often relied on him to make sure she was on the right track with her work.

"So tell me," Tenten began, eyes on the sizzling pan in front of her, "Who wakes up first?"

"If I recall, it would be Mr. Zetsu, if not Sir Leader." Tobi answered.

Tenten nodded and grabbed a prepared tray. "Can I trust you to keep the others' warm?"

"Yes ma'am! Tobi can do it."

With a little laugh, Tenten left the room and made her way to Leader's room.

Once there, she knocked on the door.

After a short pause, she heard him answer, "You may enter."

Propping the tray on one hand, she opened the door with the other. The room was pitch black, same as the first time she entered the room to be accepted into Akatsuki. Leader's eyes were also the same: eerily glowing orange and watching her every move. They unsettled her; they made her feel transparent.

"I have your breakfast, sir," she said, breaking the thick silence in the air.

"It smells very pleasant," came Leader's distorted voice, "Thank you, Miss Kaiyan. You may leave it on the table in front of you."

Tenten paused for a few minutes, straining her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She had no idea how far in front of her the table was, and it bothered her that it was taking so long to put down the tray.

It was as if her frustration was written across her forehead with glowing paint, for Leader saw it perfectly and said, "It is one step in front of you, Miss Kaiyan."

Blood rushed to her cheeks in embarrassment, and she could almost feel him laughing at her.

"Th-thank you, sir," she mumbled, quickly stepping forward and putting the tray on the table.

Being extremely careful not to trip or crash into something, Tenten fumbled for the door and rushed out, squeezing her eyes shut at the sudden contact with the bright lights. If she wasn't careful around Leader, he would probably see through her disguise. It was fortunate he didn't get out of his room much, for those eyes of his would catch every little mishap.

Tenten took a minute to regain her composure, then set out to return to the kitchen to give the others their breakfast. There was no use worrying about getting caught, for that would cause her actions to be more suspicious. She just had to act natural and calm, and perhaps a little nervous, like any new member of a club would be. In the end, her mission would be a success... at least she hoped.

* * *

Deidara never woke up early; he found it pointless and sacrificial for one's beauty and health. So when a small knock came at his door at 7 A.M. in the morning, he was asleep. The knock came again, louder than before. Deidara was deep in a dream, with one leg hanging off the edge of the bed, and the other tangled in a mess of sheets. His mouth was slightly open, and his breaths came slow and steady.

"Deidara! Wake up," yelled an irritated Kaiyan.

The blonde's ears perked to the sound of her voice, and his feet woke and rose, dragging Deidara with them. Still half-asleep, he leaned against the door frame and opened the door. His half-lidded eyes opened fully when he saw Kaiyan with a breakfast tray in her hands. He ignored her frowning expression and gave her a smirk.

"Are you sure you're not my personal maid?" he asked.

Saying nothing, Kaiyan walked into the room and dropped the tray onto his bed, almost spilling his juice.

"Hey, hey, that's no way to say 'good morning,' yeah?"

She turned to him and furrowed her brow. "Well then, good morning."

He grinned. "And good morning to you, sunshine. You look like you need one."

"My morning was fine until I saw you."

Deidara put a hand over his heart. "Ouch, that hurt, yeah?"

Kaiyan snorted and started for the door, pushing past Deidara when he was blocking the doorway. The blonde leaned against the frame once again and crossed his arms, watching her leave.

"Thanks for the breakfast," he called, winking when she glanced back at him.

When she gave no response and kept walking, he turned back and closed the door behind him. Looking at the neatly prepared meal, he smiled to himself and sat down onto the bed. That girl can't possibly keep up with her front for so long. Besides, they'll have much more fun working together if they actually got along. His smile grew wider as he brought up a forkful of scrambled eggs. As soon as the eggs touched his tongue, however, his smile disappeared and he spat it out. Kaiyan had overloaded the amount of salt, and his tongue was stinging with the salty taste.

"That girl has a death warrant," he hissed, gulping down his orange juice.

At least she didn't poison everything on the tray with her spite. The toast and juice were still edible. The eggs, on the other hand, were tossed into his trashcan.

After finishing his breakfast, Deidara finally decided it was time to get up. No use wasting time sitting around if he was already awake.

--

Because Deidara had recently succeeded in obtaining the one-tailed demon, the Shukaku, he was given a period of time to rest. He was on vacation, in other words. The blonde appreciated this free time because it gave him a chance to work on his clay figures and relax. If he was really bored, he'd even go out to train a little.

Today he felt like going out to train to work out some kinks with his newly-stitched arms. Even though Kakuzu was skilled at his stitching or whatever, Deidara had to make sure his arms would stay attached. It'd be better to find out now than going out into battle and losing an arm or two because they didn't want to stay on.

So out he went, with his newly-made batch of clay in his bag. He decided to leave his cloak behind, since it was still so torn up. Besides, it was easier to move around and get to his clay without the damn thing on. All he needed now was a partner to train with. Who would he summon this time? Zetsu never agreed to train because he always had some sort of thing to do. Itachi and Kisami were already out on a mission, and Tobi was... just out of the question. Leader was also out of the question for obvious reasons.

Deidara sat on the foot of some stairs near the training grounds and sighed. He'd always trained with Sasori, since that guy never seemed to be doing anything but playing with his dolls. It also helped them work together to know what to expect from each other. But now his dear doll-loving partner was... incapacitated, in a way, and therefore unavailable for training.

The blonde heaved another sigh before concluding that it would probably be better just to go and take a walk or something. He didn't want to make any figures, since he'd already made some last night, and relaxing seemed too boring right now. Yeah, a walk sounded nice. Deidara got on his feet and patted the dirt off his pants before walking ahead in a random direction.

Before long, Deidara reached the target part of the training grounds. He called it the "dummy grounds" because there were straw dummies scattered around the field to practice long-ranged attacks. He himself never really used the grounds because his fighting style was easier to train with an actual partner, not some immobile straw doll. That, and he never really liked using kunai or throwing stars.

But upon reaching the dummy grounds, he looked up and saw someone throwing assorted weapons at the targets. Things were starting to look up.

"Well well!" he said, grinning widely, "I had a feeling you liked steel weapons."

Kaiyan turned around, breathing heavily. "Deidara," she huffed, wiping some sweat from her brow, "What are you doing here?"

"I was taking a relaxing little stroll," he answered, "You know, enjoying the lovely scenery and such."

"Is that so," she said, steadying her breaths.

"That _is_ so."

Turning back around, she walked to the target and gathered her weapons, putting them back into her bag. Afterwards, she patted the dirt off her clothes and sat down under a shady tree. Deidara thought it was time to bond with his assignment and took a seat next to her.

When she paid him no mind, he spoke up, "Am I so easy to dislike that you'd ignore me after only a day of meeting me?"

* * *

The question hit Tenten unexpectedly. She expected him to make some crude remark, and she was even ready to answer with a remark of her own, denouncing him. But he would ask a question that made her pause and really think for an answer.

Did she really dislike him? It was true that she barely knew him as a person, but he was part of the Akatsuki. It was his fault Suna's Kazekage was kidnapped. It was his fault that an innocent woman, Granny Chiyo, died. He was a criminal, and he wrongly killed people. He was selfish, cruel, and evil; there was no reason for her to see him as a person, and only a monster. That's why she was here: to help rid the world of people like him.

But she couldn't say that. She's undercover, and it would only make sense to become friendly with each member. That way, she would have more access to vital information.

"I don't dislike you," she answered at last, "I just find your attitude repulsive."

"Really?" he asked with wide, innocent eyes, "And _I_ thought I was so attractive."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about."

"I don't always mean what I say," he frowned, somewhat offended, "You're really too serious, yeah?"

"If you say so."

"I _think_ so."

She knew that they would need to find some kind of common ground. If she continued to push him away, she'd lose one means of gaining information. The fact that Deidara was assigned to care for her by Leader made him the easiest to get close to. She had to think of a quicker way to gain his trust, and if everything went according to plan, she'd be helping to get rid of a band of murderers. What kind of a plan could she use to trap Deidara? What was his weakness?

"I suppose you're right, though," she murmured, "I may be judging you too quickly."

Deidara frowned and crossed his arms playfully. "I suppose so too, yeah?"

She ignored his comment. "I apologize."

The blonde shook his head and pouted. "I don't think that's good enough," he said, "However, I think I know what I'll accept as an apology."

Tenten looked at him questioningly and frowned. "What do you mean?"

He smirked and turned his head to point at his cheek. "Give me a kiss, yeah? Then I'll forgive you."

That was it. There was a way to get to Deidara easily, and Tenten had it. It almost made her smile, thinking about how easy he would be trapped by it, but it was something she'd rather not do. He had a weakness, and she had a feeling she knew exactly what it was.

"Okay," she whispered, inching closer to him.

Deidara blinked, mouth slightly agape, at her. "Wait, really? I mean, I was just kidding."

"Does it matter?" she asked, lowering her eyes to feign shyness.

"I... guess not."

She looked up, into his sky blue eyes, and raised a hand to his cheek, bringing him in. She had him where she wanted him, and he couldn't escape. It wouldn't be a friendly, apologetic kiss to the cheek. It would be a shy kiss on the lips, hinting a desire for intimacy and affection.

Her eyes slowly closed, and she pressed her lips against his. They lingered there for perhaps a second or two, before she pulled back, cheeks red. She glanced at Deidara, who had a dazed expression, then covered her face and turned around.

Yes, she definitely had him in the palm of her hand. She would act shy and cute for him to lure him in. Then, she would act more open around him later on. Yeah, that's how she would do it, and it was sure to succeed.

Her plan was set, and it was in motion.

--  
**End Chapter 2**  
--

* * *

**A/N:** Hahh, I spent all day typing this up. **:D** (I was also watching a Chinese teen drama with my mom. LOLOL.) That's basically all I did today. (One of the actors was extremely cute, though...)

I think I should mention that the Deidara in my story doesn't have that weird eyepiece. It irritates me to no end, so I just left it out. **:3 **  
I'm hoping I didn't go OOC in this chapter, though. I'm also hoping my readers understand that Tenten isn't really being shy when she kisses him: she's trying to act shy, 'cause guys like that... I guess. (I would like it if I were a guy. **D:**)

**Miss Anonymiss: **Leader may or may not know about Tenten's communication. I'm basing a lot of my story on him knowing/not knowing. **;3**

A thanks to the reviewers for the first chapter. **:3  
**Please continue to support me.


	3. Mishap

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto_ and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

**Previously:** _When Tenten returns the next day with the same sour attitude as the day before, Deidara begins to devise a way to convince her to warm up to him. Tenten, who found a suitable plan to continue her mission, decides to play along._

--  
**Chapter 3:** Mishap  
--

Deidara pondered about it for the rest of the day. He couldn't believe Kaiyan would suddenly go from ignoring him to kissing him in a matter of minutes. She had to have some secret motive. He could have at least seen her expression after kissing, but she'd turned away and ran off before he could even think. That, and he was a little too stunned to think straight anyway... but that's not the point.

He decided he would play her clever little game. He was trained in the art of lustful deceit, and he would find out what that girl was planning. This blonde refuses to be had by her evil spite.

"She's not so clever after all, yeah?" he whispered, smirking to himself.

Folding his arms behind his head, Deidara laid back onto his pillow and sighed. This assignment would definitely be fun. It shouldn't take too long to ensnare the little fox in her own trap.

Let the seducing begin.

--

For once, Deidara thought it was time to get up early... or at least a little earlier than usual. Immediately after waking up, he hopped into the bathroom and freshened up. He brushed his teeth, swept up his hair, washed his face, etc. Today would begin his notion to thwart Kaiyan's evil plan—whatever it may be—and he would start with a fresh morning.

As he expected, a small knock came at the door. Deidara pictured little Kaiyan holding his tray of breakfast, her face pulled in a small pout, and her foot tapping impatiently. As a final touch, he pulled on a black muscle shirt and tiptoed to the door.

"Deidara, it's time to wake up!" she called, knocking on the door again.

After the last knock, the blonde pulled open the door, grabbed the breakfast tray, tossed the food onto his bed (skillfully, so as not to spill anything), and took the girl in, closing the door quietly behind him. Kaiyan was pushed onto the bed as well, directly under Deidara.

"D-Deidara!" she gasped, trying to hide her bright red face, "What are you doing?"

"Did you poison my eggs again, Miss Maid?" he breathed into her ear.

He smirked when Kaiyan didn't struggle, and continued to irk her. Revenge was sweet.

"That last apology you gave me for ignoring me was nice and all," he whispered, bringing up her chin so she would look at him, "But what are you going to do about that breakfast you gave me yesterday?"

"I don't know... what you mean," she answered quietly, looking away again.

The blonde nuzzled her neck and pouted when she turned back to look at him. "That salty taste didn't leave my tongue until much later."

"O-oh, I'm sorry..."

"You know very well that's not enough, yeah?" He narrowed his eyes.

Deidara caressed Kaiyan's cheek, smirking and chuckling when she squeezed her eyes shut and blushed. It was all too fun, and he didn't plan on stopping anytime soon, no matter what the poor girl said or how much she pleaded for him to stop. As soon as he dipped down to kiss her neck, however, a knock came at the door.

He sat up, scowling, and yelled, "What do you want?!"

"Sir Leader has another assignment for you, Deidara," grunted Zetsu, irritated by the blonde's unnecessary yelling.

"Just hold on a minute, yeah?" Deidara grumbled.

He turned back to the girl cuddled under his grasp. She shot him a frown and glowered at him, still somewhat red in the face. Or perhaps the redness was caused by anger...

"Oh, don't give me that look," he muttered, "But anyway—UNGH!"

Deidara's eyes were wide, and his face was pulled into a grimace. His arms shot down to his crotch as he tumbled over, allowing Kaiyan to hop up and run out the door. She'd done it again; she escaped and sent him a horrifying blow to his groin.

"Damn it," he groaned, rolling onto the floor in attempt to stand up.

Zetsu walked in through the wide open doors and smirked at the pained blonde on the floor.

"How embarrassing," the dark half snickered, "and I hear this isn't the first time."

That damned Hidan couldn't keep his shitty mouth shut either.

"Go to Hell," Deidara mumbled.

He got to his feet and leaned on the wall for support. He must not have fully healed from last time either, because this blow was much more painful than he remembered. Then again, she could have been angrier this time... and more anger could mean the use of more strength. Either way, the pain was excruciating.

No, his plan didn't backfire. It was just a mishap... and it was of no consequence.

Except for the consequence between his legs.

* * *

Tenten didn't plan on Deidara coming on to her so quickly the next day, and she was unprepared. Sure, she'd planned on some light flirting, but what he did was way out of line. It was too early in her plan to be so close to him, and his little fling back there set her back a few steps. Now she'd have to regain his interest. He probably wasn't too happy with her right now, and she had to find a way to apologize.

But that would come later.

Tenten was busy at the moment, stitching up the tattered cloth that was Deidara's cloak. She thought back at her mission to back up Team Kakashi during the rescue mission for the Sand Village. Together, Team Gai and Team Kakashi had rescued the Kazekage, Gaara, from the clutches of Akatsuki. Naruto was the one who fought Deidara.

According to Naruto's damages, Deidara was a very strong fighter. He was especially proven strong since he was able to defeat and capture Gaara, whom she'd seen fighting her teammate Lee and winning mercilessly during the Chuunin exams. If she was to capture Deidara and succeed, she'd have to be careful not to get caught up in fighting him afterwards.

The initial plan to return to Konoha required a reinforcement team to come and retrieve her whenever she was ready to leave. She doubted the members of Akatsuki would let them off easily. Perhaps she should study their various fighting styles before she left as well. Then she'd have at least an idea of what they were capable of.

Tenten stopped sewing and held up Deidara's patched cloak, admiring her careful handiwork. The next step at this point would be to apologize, and the cloak would come in handy for this.

After neatly folding the good-as-new cloak, the kunoichi ran off to Deidara's room in hopes of making up with the blonde and returning to her original duties. She wished herself luck, hoping he wouldn't still be upset with her and do anything drastic to get revenge. After all, she'd given him plenty of time to cool off. It was _his_ fault anyway.

Tenten approached the door and knocked lightly, pressing her ear against the cold wood to listen. There was no response—none for a few minutes.

"Are you looking for Deidara?"

She turned around and met Zetsu's half white/half black face.

"Yes," she replied, "I'm returning his cloak."

"You really _are_ his little slave," HeiZetsu snickered.

Tenten said nothing as Zetsu continued, seemingly arguing with himself mentally.

"Please forgive me, Kaiyan," BaiZetsu sighed, "I'm sure Deidara will be pleased to have his cloak patched by delicate hands. Kakuzu can be awfully stingy."

"Thank you, Zetsu sir," she said with a smile.

He nodded at her, then turned on his heel and went back the way he came. As he left, Tenten debated on whether or not she would leave the cloak in Deidara's room or just give it to him later on. She quickly decided and slowly opened the door, being cautious in case he wanted to play a trick on her had she returned.

"Deidara?" she whispered, unsure why she'd call his name when she was sure he wasn't there.

Tenten looked down at his bed, smiling unconsciously at the disarray of the sheets and pillows. Setting the cloak down on a chair beside the door, she sat down on the mattress and touched the sheets.

"I had a feeling you'd come back."

Her shoulders tensed and the door slammed shut.

* * *

"Whoa! Sorry, Doll," Deidara laughed lightheartedly, "Didn't mean to make you jump."

He laughed again when Kaiyan frowned at him with a light blush across her cheeks.

"I didn't jump," she mumbled, standing up and heading for the door.

"Yeah, even though you _jumped_ about two miles in the air."

Kaiyan grabbed something from a nearby chair and threw it at him, folding her arms across her chest when he looked up at her questioningly.

"I fixed your cloak," she muttered, looking away and still frowning.

The blonde unfolded the cloak and looked at the stitching.

He smiled at her. "Hey, thanks Kai!"

Deidara pulled on the cloak, carefully putting each arm into each sleeve. The stitching was very unnoticeable and done with expertise. Kai certainly was a handy girl.

His eyes darted up to meet hers, and they looked at each other for a second before Kaiyan turned away and coughed lightly into her hand. As she looked away, Deidara stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'll take this as an apology, yeah?" he whispered, stroking her arm with his thumb. "For the breakfast _and _for that blow to my crotch. I hope you know that I'm not usually this forgiving."

Kaiyan gave him an unsure glance. She looked like a frightened little bird trapped in a dark cage—how cute.

"Thank you," she squeaked, evidently still uncomfortable in Deidara's metal grasp.

He grinned at her, then chuckled. "You're a cute kid, Kai."

Her hands were pressed against his chest, and her legs were weak. At this moment, Deidara was the only thing keeping her from falling to the ground. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was getting him to hold her on purpose.

And as if she weren't feeling uncomfortable enough, the blonde smirked and dipped down to press his lips against hers. His grasp on her softened as he brought a hand to her cheek. Although he wasn't surprised that she made no movement in return, he was still slightly disappointed.

Oh, but still...

...what soft lips she had.

--  
**End Chapter 3**  
--

* * *

**A/N: **Much fluff in this chapter! Couldn't help it... and my dear Jake gave me some good ideas to work with. (Yay for random sources of inspiration!)

Hahh, took long enough, yeah? I tried to work more... I promise. I even had a good buddy of mine proofread the chapter... and the other two chapters. **xD** I sure hope I'm not sounding super repetitive or drawn out. I just didn't want too much dialogue. (Some people like a lot of dialogue, but it just bothers me if I have too much, you know?) Don't forget to R&R. **D: **Constructive criticism is very much appreciated.

**Miss Anonymiss: **I don't have a back up story for that. It's kind of like how we don't really know how Tobi got in either. (Pfft, bad explanation/excuse.)  
**LucyLove:** Thanks for catching that there mess-up! Yeah, it's Kisame. I _definitely_ wasn't too caught up in thinking about DOA... of course not.

Man, am I hungry...


	4. Desire

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ and all of its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

**Previously:** _Just when Deidara and Tenten start to show signs of getting along, Deidara takes his flirting a little too far, causing Tenten to become insecure and nervous. However, when Tenten decided to patch their awkward relationship by patching up his cloak, she found herself caught in a more awkward position in Deidara's arms._

_--  
_**Chapter 4: Desire**  
--

For the next few days, avoidance was inevitable. Not only did Tenten's cheeks turn the shade of a lobster by just _thinking_ about the incident, Deidara had also been called out to search for one of those tailed demons. Because Tenten wasn't technically partnered up with Deidara—for Tobi was assigned to the blonde first—she was told to stay behind, doing biddings for the members who were still around. It wasn't very exciting, but at least she wouldn't be forced to actually work for the enemy.

Tenten sighed, gracious to be left alone by the lustful blonde's... lustfulness. He was bold—too bold—and she needed a break from all the action.

At the moment, Tenten was washing the day's dishes, scrubbing in small circles with her towelette. Before she knew it, thoughts about home began to sneak up on her, making her shoulders drop in nostalgic defeat. How long had it been already? A few weeks... that's right, it's almost been a month. A month since effectively sneaking into the building under the members' noses and appearing before Leader. A month since being scrutinized by his haunting eyes and interrogative voice.

She was somewhat surprised she'd actually lasted this long. A part of her was convinced that she'd be jumped by the other members one day, fully exposed and vulnerable to her imminent disposal. But so far, she was safe, and was approved by the leader of the group.

_I won't let anything happen to you, Tenten. If I even hear a whisper of you being in trouble, I'll be there in a heartbeat._

Nostalgia washed through her once again. His soft voice still rang through her ears, filling her head with promises and yearning. Hyuga Neji, her childhood friend and training partner, had promised to keep her from harm, no matter how far away she was.

"Don't be stupid," she muttered softly, "Even if you're a Hyuga, how would you reach me in time?"

Sometimes his pride got the better of him, but for someone like him to say something like that was—and she chose her word carefully—sweet.

The two were "thick as thieves," as some would say. Especially in the beginning, shortly after they'd become a team under Gai's youthful teaching, she was one of the few people who were able to withstand his stoic behavior. She understood every small uttering his being would produce, and he accepted her the way she was.

But they were friends, nothing more. This was established when Tenten was brought under Lady Tsunade's teachings, and Neji was promoted to Anbu. They both agreed that being anything more than good companions, the best of friends, would only become a burden to his training and her studies.

Tenten's couldn't help but wonder, however, what it would've been like had they decided otherwise. At the age of twenty-three, she'd never experienced any sort of romance more than a small kiss to the cheek, or a brief hug. Well, not including the incidents with Deidara, of course. But if ever her female friends giggled of how good someone was in bed, Tenten always stood quiet. She was a virgin, and it didn't really bother her much. All that mattered were her studies and her role as a ninja.

Yes... her role as a ninja.

A frightening thought crossed her mind. How far was she willing to go to get close to Deidara? If gaining more information meant spending a night with an S-ranked criminal, whom she had _absolutely no _romantic feelings for _whatsoever, _then it was worth it. Even if it would be her virginity at stake. Besides, it was as trivial as fretting about her first kiss... right? Right.

Something about doing boring chores just urged Tenten's mind to wander.

She thought about Deidara's nicely-toned body, imagining it glistening with sweat as he hovered over her, eyes filled with fiery lust and lips curved into a sly smirk. Her imagination took her further, allowing Deidara to run his hands over her smooth skin, teasing her until he finally gave in to her pleas...

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to give her first time to Deidara after all.

* * *

"ATCHOO!"

"Bless you, Deidara sir!" Tobi yelled into the air.

Deidara sniffled and ran his finger under his nose. A random sneeze like that could only mean that someone was talking about him.

"Must be that no good Hidan," he mumbled with a frown, "He's always talking shit about me."

The pair had just finished gathering information about the two-tailed cat demon's host and was returning to the Akatsuki base. Throughout the entire ordeal, Deidara was having trouble putting up with his new partner and soon delved into a bad mood. He even troubled himself to make a clay bird to fly on so he'd be away from the orange-faced pest.

The first thing he decided he'd do when he got back is to complain about Tobi to Zetsu. Zetsu always tolerated his complaining, whether he was actually listening or not.

The blonde sat down on his clay masterpiece and gave it an affectionate pat. With his legs folded in, and his arms crossed over his chest, Deidara closed his eyes to get some rest and relieve some irritation.

And maybe later, after he'd confided in Zetsu, he'll go bother Kai some more. That's always fun. It'll certainly raise his spirits and improve his mood.

--

By the time they reached the hidden base, the sun had already ducked behind the trees, allowing the moon and stars to decorate the blackening sky.

Deidara was not aware of the change in celestial bodies, however, for he was busy entertaining himself with a very lovely dream. It was a lovely dream what involved two people, a man and a woman, who wore nothing but the skin on their backs. The man was, of course, Deidara, and the woman was... a woman—that's all that mattered. (In short, he was having a wet dream.)

Unfortunately for the blonde, the dream ended all too soon as the great clay bird landed on the ground with a tremble and a loud _thunk. _Blissful, dreaming Deidara instantly turned into a grumpy, awakened Deidara.

"Dammit, I was getting to the good part!" he complained, hopping off his ride and brushing off his behind.

Tobi paid no attention to the blonde's complaints and formed a few hand seals.

"Release!"

The ground before them shook, and the trees around them rattled and swayed. In an instant, a flight of stairs appeared in front of the two, leading far into the ground.

"Ladies first," Deidara mocked, laying out a hand as a gesture for Tobi to proceed.

Tobi gave a chuckle and hopped down the stairs, ignoring Deidara's scoff towards his childishness as he followed.

"Welcome back, Tobi," Zetsu said, nodding at the cheerful man, then nodding at Deidara once he stepped in. "Leader will be expecting a full report once you two are settled."

"Yes sir!" Tobi exclaimed, a hand shooting up to his brow.

Deidara rolled his eyes at him and shook off his cloak, tossing it over Zetsu's head to have it land on Tobi.

"Pumpkin-face can go report to Leader himself. I have some other business to attend to."

Tobi once again exclaimed in agreement and saluted as Zetsu watched the blonde stalk off.

The dark half of the man's mouth curved up into a smirk. "Miss Kaiyan should be in her room, if you need her."

Deidara's next step became hesitant and his shoulders stiffened.

"Well, _thank you_ for the information," he remarked sarcastically, continuing on his way with heavier footsteps.

Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to talk to that overgrown plant at the moment. Although his light side was very approachable, his dark side was just inappropriate. Also, Deidara was gaining an increasingly large problem... in his pants. He blamed it on the dream he had before he came in, but then also decided to place some fault on the fact that there were no females in this godforsaken place _at all_.

Wait...

It was as if someone hurled a giant boulder at his head as realization hit him. With his exact destination in mind, Deidara began to hum a cheery little tune.

* * *

All the chores for the day were swiftly finished, and Tenten chose to spend the rest of her evening polishing and admiring her weapons. If ever she felt alone and away from her friends, she would turn to her fighting companions. On this night, the kunoichi was feeling lonelier than ever.

With a heavy sigh, Tenten reached down and touched a thin silver dagger. She ran her fingers over the dragon that decorated the handle, wrapping itself around the black grip and ending with eyes the color of red rubies. The word "heaven" was engraved on the blade itself, representing the gentle, but sharp meaning behind Tenten's name.

It was a personalized gift from _him, _her best-friend-and-nothing-more Neji. He'd given it to her the day she received news that Lady Tsunade would accept her as a student; it was a congratulatory gift to show how proud he was. Because of this, Tenten kept the gift on her person at all times, hiding it within the confinements of her clothing.

As she held the dagger, her senses suddenly became alert. Someone was nearby.

In a puff of smoke, Tenten jumped off her bed and gripped her dagger, ready to attack.

"If that's how you're going to welcome me home, I might as well leave, yeah?"

"Deidara!" she gasped, lowering her weapon and gaping at the blonde on her bed, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Interrupting your quiet time, obviously," he retorted, taken aback by her assertiveness.

"I-I'm sorry," she said, nervously tucking some hair behind her ear, "Did you need something?"

Tenten watched as Deidara got to his feet.

"Why yes, actually," he answered, stepping closer to her, "You see, I have this problem."

She shuffled back, away from him, until her back touched the wall. "What problem might that be?"

He loomed over her menacingly, placing both hands against the wall on either side of her. "It's a problem that only a woman can solve."

"I-Is that so?"

Deidara smirked at her. "I think you're beginning to catch my drift, yeah?"

Tenten knew exactly what he was getting at, and it didn't help that she realized that she was the only female in the building. Her grip on the dagger in her hand tightened when Deidara's hands touched her waist, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Won't you help me?" he whispered, trailing little kisses down her neck.

With every kiss, Tenten felt bits of her strength and courage leaving her. Her legs were the first to give in, and she sank to the floor, Deidara following suit.

"Please," she whimpered, surprised at the weak voice that came from her mouth.

This was not the strength of a great kunoichi, let alone the great Tsunade's apprentice, and nowhere near the strength of an S-ranked criminal. Tenten closed her eyes and focused on regaining her courage, reminding herself of her duties as a ninja of Konoha.

"I'm warning you," she said in a low voice, her dagger readily raised, "Release me."

The blonde looked at her with a strange expression, one that she could not read. It was not of anger, disappointment, or shame. It almost seemed... remorseful, even if for a split second.

Without another word, Tenten watched Deidara as he rose to his feet and walked out the door.

--  
**End Chapter 4**  
--

* * *

**A/N: **The whole time I've been writing that last scene, I was thinking, **"ACCESS DENIED :D"  
**Well, this chapter took long enough! But I stayed up late last night writing this. Be happy about it.

In the middle of the whole damn thing I suddenly realized I was making Tenten act like a freakin' pansy. So I had to get her to reject poor Deidara in the end.  
My friend, here, is urging me to write an actual secks seen in the story. **O:** What's your input? (It'd be my first time writing one... and I guess I should practice every aspect of writing. **;D**)

**Miss Anonymiss (Sorry, not LucyLove... my mistake):** Yeah, I'm up-to-date with the manga, but I skipped a whole bunch of stuff between Gaara's rescue and Sai's introduction. I may have also skipped a few scenes, so I don't remember how "Tobi" got in. **xD**  
_Either way, _I still added an intimation as to how Tenten came to be accepted into the group.

**shaman-girl-of-wind:** Ohmuhgad, it's as if you freakin' read my mind. **D;** Shhhh.


	5. Feelings

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ and all of its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

**Previously: **_The relationship between Deidara and Tenten becomes more awkward than ever. When Deidara returns from a mission, he makes the situation worse by invading lonely Tenten's personal space a little too much, then leaving with the feeling of rejection._

_--  
_**Chapter 5: Feelings  
**--

Deidara lost count after the five hundred sixty-eighth sheep that jumped over his bed in an attempt to help him sleep. Much to his dismay, all he could really think about was that girl, Kai. In all honesty, he'd dreamed about her earlier, after the mission. Lately, she and her long brown hair, slim waist, and soft tanned skin had been encompassing his evening fantasies, leaving him full of desire and itching with lust. He was surprised he even got through the mission without his private thoughts getting in the way.

"1 sheep... 2 sheep... 3 sheep..."

He'd never had this sort of problem before. Not only were his past flings incredibly easy to bed, but he was also mainly interested in his artwork. Women were petty. They were insignificant, useless, distracting creatures whom were only necessary for one single ordeal.

But in a short amount of time, cute little Kai had begun to show a new side of women he'd never seen before. Kai was a piece of art as well, and she interested him.

The blonde sighed in great frustration as he flipped his pillow over, allowing the cool cloth to chill his heated face.

Kai was such a nuisance. She was no fun at all, rejecting him the way she did. Years of pride—if it was a sort of honor—as a successful skirt-chaser thrown out the window because of that. Why was she playing hard to get anyway? It was obvious that everything would all come to the same conclusion in the end, whether she liked it or not.

They have chemistry; she cannot deny it. How _can _she deny it? She shouldn't lie to herself like this.

_But perhaps she just wasn't ready_, Deidara reasoned. _Yeah, that must've been it. _She was obviously a virgin, and the idea must have frightened her. He was, after all, intimidatingly attractive.

Deidara smiled into the darkness, then turned to lay on his stomach.

But wait, why should he care if she's ready or not? This was his chance to go at a fresh fruit, and _his _needs were at stake here. Deidara was a needy person, and he should get what he wants.

"I shouldn't care about what she thinks," he whispered to the wall beside him. "I'm a selfish person; I should be selfish."

_I should take what I want._

He wanted her; there was no doubt in his mind about it. However, the problem lies in the fact that he _did _care about what she thought.

"I don't care," he whispered harshly, glaring at the wall before squeezing his eyes shut.

He cared about her feelings.

"I don't care," he repeated.

Deidara buried his face into the pillow, disappointed that the coolness had already left the cover. Feeling the heat run from his head to his toes, the blonde sat up and threw off his covers, kicking them to the edge of the bed before falling back into his pillow.

He frowned. "Shit."

_I _do_ care._

_

* * *

_

Tenten woke up the next morning feeling a great sense of glory and accomplishment. Not only did she achieve a higher level of self control, but she also managed to shake off a blonde scoundrel. Whatever bit of guilt or regret she felt for doing what she did—and she did not deny that she had such feelings—she pushed away immediately.

Avoidance once again became inevitable when Deidara was called to meet with Leader. Tenten had no idea why, and she convinced herself that she didn't need to know. Honestly, she just wanted a lot less contact with the blonde throughout the day. So, of course, the day went by smoothly. Tenten made breakfast, washed clothes, mopped floors, and so on.

When nightfall soon came and greeted her, she praised the lord that she was free of Deidara for the entire day. It'd been a while since she felt such relief.

On this free night of hers, after finishing whatever chores she had left, Tenten spent some time to go for a run outside the Akatsuki territory. Apparently, it was a common practice among some of the other members, so she was free of suspicion.

It was a great night to be out among the trees. The night was clear of clouds, and the endless sky twinkled with little stars. Tenten really enjoyed the night's breeze against her skin as she jumped from tree to tree.

_Tenten_

She stopped after a long jump and squatted down on a thick tree branch, peering into the darkness. Her breath stopped short in her throat, and her lungs burned from the hour of running and jumping.

_Tenten_

The kunoichi turned her head back only to see more darkness. With a hand in her weapon pouch, Tenten warily eyed the thick trees that encompassed her person. Someone was watching her.

"Show yourself," she growled, gripping a kunai within her pouch.

"Tenten," she heard below her. The alarms went off in her head.

With a grunt, the kunoichi jumped down from her place and landed on the ground with a soft _thud_. She could feel the light flow of hidden chakra being emitted from something—or someone—somewhere nearby. Her eyes traveled around the perimeter, trying to pinpoint the exact location of her company.

"Show yourself," she repeated, bringing out her weapon and straightening up.

"Heh, I missed you, too."

Tenten eyed a large mass of leaves a few yards in front of her, kunai readily in hand. When a figure emerged from the shadows, she gasped.

"Neji?"

His face came into view under the streams of moonlight, and his eyes glistened with silent longing.

There was no mistake in her mind that the man standing before her was Hyuga Neji. His pale eyes, that teasing smirk, his stiff movements... it was definitely him.

_I missed you._

"How have you been?" he asked, walking up to her. "Is the mission going well?"

Tenten ignored his questions and stuffed her kunai back into the pouch fastened to her leg. Her pride disallowed her to show how much she really missed him on her face.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"I know this is unexpected, but I--"

"You know you're not supposed to be here."

Neji lowered his gaze and narrowed his eyes at the ground.

"I missed you, Tenten."

"Is that all?" she whispered, looking away. "You, of all people, should know that one mustn't endanger a mission purely for the purpose of fulfilling one's emotional desires."

"Don't insult me," he said, eyes flying back to Tenten, "This is far more important than mere desires, or I wouldn't be here."

_Of course you wouldn't be here. You never acted upon desire._

She saw Neji sigh heavily.

"Does Lady Tsunade have a message for me?"

"Yes," he replied, regaining his composure, "She wishes for you to return to Konoha in less than two weeks."

Tenten tilted her head to the side and frowned. "The information I have given her is sufficient?"

"Yes."

"I needn't do any more investigating?"

"No, no more."

"I'm to return within two weeks..."

"Yes."

"I see..."

Neji stepped forward and lowered his head to look at her face, his expression full of concern. "What's the matter?"

Tenten looked up at him and gave a small smile before shaking her head. "It's nothing."

In a swift movement, Neji had her in his arms. Tenten's arms fell limp and her eyes wide.

"Neji?" she whispered, "What's this about?"

She could hear his heart thumping against her ear as he stroked her hair softly, pressing her against his chest. What had gotten into him? Was something wrong?

"Forgive me, Tenten," he breathed, closing his lavender eyes.

At last, she felt her hands reaching up to touch his pale cheeks, and a smile graced her soft features.

"What do you mean?"

"I made a mistake," he replied, pulling her closer. "I shouldn't have pushed you away."

Tenten said nothing and continued to listen to his heart's beating. _Thump-thump... thump-thump..._

"These few weeks with you gone made me realize," Neji paused and leaned in until their noses touched, "I'm nothing without you."

He paused again to allow her to respond. When she didn't, he continued.

"When you come back in two weeks... I want you to live with me."

"Neji," Tenten breathed, "I--"

He put a finger to her lips to silence her, then leaned in to keep her quiet with his lips.

She felt the butterflies tickling her stomach and the heat reddening her cheeks. His lips were soft, just like she'd imagined so many times before, but there was something missing. It wasn't the same as her kisses with... Why did it feel wrong? This was what she wanted, she thought. Wasn't this just what she was waiting for? Just the day before she'd felt this desire, so what's wrong now?

Tenten didn't dare open her eyes. She didn't want Neji to be burdened by her confusion; he didn't deserve this unfairness.

She didn't know whether to feel overjoyed or disappointed. As much as she denied it, she knew why this all felt wrong. In these past few weeks, something within her had changed, and she knew exactly what it was.

There was a sudden gust of wind around them, and they broke away. They both took up their defensive stances, but when Tenten saw what'd interrupted them, her stomach lurched.. She saw the wings of a great clay bird.

"Kai?" came a low voice, afraid and angry at the same time.

Tenten glanced up at Neji before turning around. Of all people to find her here, it had to be _him. _All of the fluttering butterflies in her stomach died, burned away by the rage that she saw in his eyes.

"What are you doing with him?"

--  
**End Chapter 5  
**--

**

* * *

**

**A/N: **Okay, I needed to put fluff in this chapter, but ended up fluffing up the wrong characters. **;]** Sorry, no TentenxDeidara goodness just yet, and the secks isn't happening anytime too soon. I don't really know where to put it as of now.  
I'm kinda realizing my chapters seem to get shorter and shorter. I mean, the first chapter was 7 pages long! **O:** But now I'm just working around 4 pages, 'cause it's easier to handle. Ugh... I had a lot of dialogue in this chapter. =_= Definitely not what I was going for, but it was pretty necessary.

I recently figured out how to reply to reviews without putting it in my A/Ns at the end. **xD** So yeah, I'll be answering questions a lot quicker from now on. **:] **

Thanks again for all of my readers, and especially my reviewers. **:]** You guys keep me going. And again, I'm looking for some constructive criticism too. (Whee! My internet seems to be fixed now! zOMG TIEM!)


	6. Realization

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ and all of its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

**Previously: **_Deidara begins to accept his feelings for Tenten, and Tenten meets her best friend in the woods. She and Neji's reunion opens her eyes to what she really wants, but things turn for the worst as Deidara finds the two together.  
_

**_--  
_****Chapter 6: Realization  
--**

He was right after all, and Deidara was foolish enough to doubt his word. What an idiot he was... has been. Of course the Boss was right; he was always right.

Earlier that day, Leader had called Deidara in to speak with him about an urgent matter. It was about Kai.

_Tenten_, he said her name was. _A nameless weapon mistress who had underlying powers to aid in Konoha's defeat. _The Boss had known who she was since the night she infiltrated the base. He was impressed by her skills, so allowed her to live, and even invited her to join. The other members were informed of her true natures soon after, but Deidara was left in the dark.

The Boss explained that it was because he wanted Deidara to form an innocent relationship with the girl. He was chosen to adulterate her thoughts and possibly seduce her into truly being a part of the group.

"But now you're in too deep," Leader said, "and I felt it necessary for you to know who she truly was before you turned to the other side."

That was ridiculous. Why would he defect to the losing side for a mere woman? But perhaps Leader knew him better than he thought he did himself.

--

"You don't believe me, do you Deidara?" Leader said, eyes boring into the blonde's mind. "Well, you might be interested in knowing where Miss 'Kaiyan' is at the moment."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the blonde spat, turning away so as to escape Leader's mocking eyes.

"She's probably plotting an attack with her comrades," Leader continued.

"She wouldn't," Deidara growled, "that's stupid."

"Or perhaps she's in the arms of her Konoha lov--"

"Shut up!"

He refused to take any more of Leader's bullshit and ran out to find her himself. He'd prove to Leader that Kai was innocent. Sure they didn't have the best relationship in the world, but they had _something, _and he trusted her. She wouldn't betray him; she couldn't be the enemy.

--

He should have known better than to be so ignorant. He'd only known her for a few weeks. Hell, all he really knew about the woman was that she liked weapons. He had no idea who her friends were, where she came from, or even if her favorite color was red. Essentially, he knew nothing about her.

And as he stood before his false comrade, his enticement, he fumed.

"Deidara," she whispered, taking a step forward.

He saw the uncertainty and fear in her eyes, and it angered him further.

"Don't even try to explain," he muttered, turning back and jumping onto the great clay bird. "I'll leave you two to yourselves."

* * *

Tenten had no idea he would react the way he did, and she wished he hadn't. It was killing her inside to have seen him like that. His eyes burned with anger and disappointment, and it felt as if she'd let him down somehow.

"We must go after him," Neji said worriedly, "He'll alert the others and expose you!"

Neji gave her a questioning look when she made no effort to move.

"No," she whispered, "he won't."

"Stop talking nonsense, Tenten!"

Tenten turned to face her friend, her expression void of warm emotion.

"Return to Konoha, Neji."

"But Tenten..."

"I can handle this alone."

Neji said nothing and only looked at her.

"Tell Lady Tsunade to expect me home soon," she continued. "Tell her I won't be needing any assistance in returning."

"Are you sure about this?" Neji asked, touching her arm and almost hoping for a reaction.

There was no reaction, for Tenten felt nothing.

He sighed in defeat and didn't make an effort to hide the disappointment he felt. "I'm sorry I burdened you tonight. I compromised your position only to act upon selfish impulse."

Tenten's eyes moved up to meet his, and she saw his hesitance.

_You never really knew what you wanted..._

She watched him as he moved forward, moving toward her soft lips. She watched him in silent disappointment as he stopped.

_...until you realized you were losing it._

He left Tenten standing alone in the midst of trees and darkness, ending their bittersweet meeting with an uncertain kiss on the cheek and a whisper.

"_Perhaps if you'll forgive me, you'll return and decide to be with me. I'll wait for you."_

_

* * *

_"Sorry, I'm a little short on cash tonight."

The matron smiled sweetly at Deidara and patted his hand. "Don't worry, hon. A handsome man like you ought to get a discount anyway."

She gave him a little wink and walked out into another room. Deidara heaved a great sigh and slouched down in his seat.

After the scene with Kai and her boyfriend, he found himself looking for some company instead of returning to the Boss and receiving his "I told you so" speech. He knew it would come as soon as he returned without Kai beside him, and he definitely wasn't in the mood to deal with the mockery.

There was only one place he knew of where women were incapable of disappointing him, and he was there: the red light district. Deidara usually visited the closest brothel every week or so to get away from all the men, but it'd been a while since he last came thanks to _her. _Now that she'd betrayed him, he felt that he owed it to himself to finally have a good night with a woman.

"Are you ready sir?"

Deidara looked up and smirked, "Of course."

This evening's course consisted of a thin waist, healthy hips, a pair of soft, perky breasts, and a side order of full, pouting lips. _Delicious._

The woman made her way to Deidara, swaying her hips as she went, then dropped onto all fours to crawl onto him.

"Please, be gentle with me," she breathed, hovering over him.

He chuckled and pulled her down on top of him, then flipped them over. He heard her giggle as she wrapped her legs around his waist and ran her hands over his aching chest. She looked up at him and batted her eyelashes innocently.

Deidara leaned in and took a whiff of her strong perfume, whispering, "Only if you beg."

* * *

The first person Tenten met as she returned to the base was Uchiha Itachi, and it made her heart beat five times too fast. Good thing he wasn't the type to pry.

"Where is Deidara?" he asked, expression void of emotion.

"I don't know," Tenten replied, looking away quickly, "Did he not return?"

Itachi eyed her. "I am not aware of his arrival. I was told he would return with you."

"I'm afraid I am also unaware of his whereabouts. I apologize."

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded before turning on his heel and walking away. Tenten watched him leave, then sighed as his cloak disappeared with him around the corner. So Deidara had not returned after all. Half of her was expecting the blonde to come back in a rage and expose all that he'd seen and heard. However, the stronger half of her trusted him to stay quiet, for whatever reason. It was strange, how calm she felt even though her life was on the line.

As of now, her main objective was to find a way to leave without causing a fuss. Yet, all she really wanted to do was make amends with Deidara. And how would she do that, she wondered. In her mind, she'd already ruined whatever relationship they had, and it wasn't a strong connection to begin with.

Since the man wasn't back yet, she thought it best to clear her thoughts and rest. It was a long, tiring day. Perhaps it was time to take some effort in thinking things clearly again.

--

No matter how hard she tried, Tenten could not think clearly at all. Whatever she did only worsened the problem. She took a shower, polished some weapons, even meditated (as Neji used to do) since it usually calmed her down when she was stressed. But tonight everything seemed to do nothing but give her time to remind herself of what she was missing. Yes, she knew exactly what she was missing, and it unsettled her.

What she was missing was not fit for a proper kunoichi; not fit for the Hokage's apprentice. What would Lady Tsunade think of her if she knew how Tenten was feeling? It was just as bad as being a traitor; betraying her country.

Any manner of intimacy with an S-ranked criminal was inappropriate; she knew this all too well. Yet, something inside her continued to usher her out the door and through the halls. Before she could clear her thoughts, her feet had brought her to the door of the criminal she had accidentally developed feelings for.

Tenten didn't even know if he'd returned yet or not. What time was it anyway? Never mind, it wasn't important. All she could think about was the person who could be on the other side of the door.

"Deidara?" she heard herself whisper.

It was barely audible at all. Even a mouse scurried louder than that.

Tenten gave herself permission to enter and pushed the door open. The door creaked (the loudest sound in the world) then shut with a click as she made her way inside the dark room. It didn't take long for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, falling on a figure sprawled across the bed a few feet away.

She couldn't help but smile, seeing his unkempt hair amidst the mess of sheets and pillows. Her mind screamed at her, told her to leave immediately and sever all bonds with these criminals, but her body would be disobeying her mind's every order tonight. Tenten figured it was time to act upon her feelings: something she'd almost forgotten how to do.

It would be a one time thing, she told herself. Just once, she'll act upon selfish impulse, and tomorrow will be a new day. Just once... she'd like to be happy with a man.

Before her mind could argue, Tenten took a breath and climbed onto the bed, laying down next to Deidara. Wherever he'd been she didn't really want to know, for he reeked of cheap perfume and wine. It suited a guy like him, she admitted, but she didn't falter. Tenten knew what she wanted, and until she was satisfied with herself, there was no going back.

Her eyes were glued to him: his smooth skin, firm muscles, long hair...

When she felt him stir she closed her eyes.

"Where have you been?" she asked, fingering a few strands of his loose hair as he turned away from her.

His answer came in a low grunt. "None of your business, yeah?"

Tenten smiled. "I'm afraid I'm going to make it my business."

Deidara turned to face her, his eyes dull and sleepy. "What are you doing here?"

She propped her head on her palm and twisted her lips. "That's a good question. What _am _I doing here?"

"Stop messing with me, yeah? I've got enough on my mind."

"What do you mean?"

He frowned at her and scoffed. She returned his look with an innocent look and a small pout, trying to act as if nothing had happened between them. Hopefully, the stars would smile upon her this night.

"Damn it!" he growled, "Why won't you leave me alone?!"

His outburst startled her, making her sit up in light defense.

"Deidara..." she started.

He ignored her and sat up as well, putting his head in his hands.

"You want to know where I was?" he scowled between his fingers, "I was with another woman, planning to have a good time. And you know where I should be? I should be with that woman, _having _a good time!"

Tenten sat quietly, looking at him as he seethed.

"But here I am, fussing with _you. _I left the other woman, empty-handed, with _you _on my mind, and for what? All I get is a headache when I deal with you! What do you want from me?"

There was a moment of silence. Neither one spoke a word, and neither one looked at the other.

"It seems there is nothing you can give me," she replied at last, looking down at her hands.

It was a lost cause after all. Tenten had no idea what she was really expecting from him, especially after what happened earlier. She was a fool to have had such high hopes. To save any pride she had left, Tenten made her way to the edge of the bed and felt her feet touch the cold floor.

She made an effort to stand, but was pulled back down onto the bed by a strong hand.

* * *

He knew it was a mistake as soon as he reached out to her, but all self-control was lost since she came in and laid down beside him. He pulled her back down and she now laid under him, eyes wide with surprise.

"What have you done to me?" Deidara asked, hovering over the girl.

His expression softened as he saw the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. The will of a proud, strong woman was present in her face, but her eyes told him what she really wanted.

"Please," she whispered, "let me go."

His heart ached as her tears finally fell from her brown eyes. Whatever it was she did to him didn't matter anymore as he wrapped his arms around the girl—whether it was Kai or Tenten—and pulled her close.

"No, I won't let you go, not this time," Deidara pulled away and held her face in his hands. "But please stop crying, yeah?"

She sniffled and nodded, raising a hand to wipe away a few stray tears.

"Look at me," she laughed, "sniffling like a little child. I'm sorry I bothered you."

"Actually, I'm rather joyed you came to bother me," he smirked. "Just proves how irresistible I am, yeah?"

"You're just awful," she scoffed, punching him lightly on the arm.

Deidara took her in his arms again and hugged her tightly. All of his bottled feelings from the past few weeks were overflowing, threatening to explode. There was nothing left to do but accept them, and Deidara understood this. Whether or not this girl returned his feelings, he felt he already knew. All he had to do now was make it clear to her what she meant to him.

"Tenten..." he breathed, nuzzling into her neck.

He took a breath, taking in her scent.

"I love you."

**--**  
**End Chapter 6  
--**

**

* * *

A/N: **Somehow, it feels like I put in a little _too much _fluff here. **:/ **Oh well... Honestly, this was supposed to be where the lemon was going to be, but that didn't happen. I thought it was better to have a light, romantic moment instead of a lusty one. Besides, I'm not too comfortable with writing an angry sex scene just yet. **;D  
**A lot of flip-flopping between POVs in this chapter, but I needed that to have a better effect. I'm pretty sure it worked out well...

This chapter's a bit longer than the past few; be proud. **:)** Figured I'd use the second day of my winter break to finish writing this chapter. How productive of me!  
I expect there to be a lot of mistakes... 'cause I really wanted to finish this quickly. Constructive criticism pl0x?

I have no idea when chapter 7 will be up. **:( **All I know is that this story will be wrapping up soon. Yay!  
A continued thanks to all my readers, and especially my reviewers!


	7. Together

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ and all of its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

**Previously: **_Tenten returns to find that Deidara had yet to arrive, and she uses her spare time to try and think things out. The more she thinks, the more unsettled she begins to feel until finally, she gathers the will to act upon her feelings. She finds herself in the arms of a forgiving Deidara once again._

_--  
_**Chapter 7: Together  
**--

Tenten felt a certain warmth when she woke up the next morning, but she didn't bother to open her eyes to investigate; in truth, it felt too comfortable. The pillow beside her was unusually warm too, so she put her arms around it and snuggled against it.

"Well, good morning to you too, yeah?"

Her eyes snapped open to meet a naked pale chest.

"Deidara!" she gasped, sitting up. "Why are you in my room?!"

He frowned. "Take a look around: it's not your room."

Tenten blinked, then scanned the room, noting the blocks of clay and small figures scattered about the floor. No swords, kunai, or throwing stars in sight. This definitely wasn't her room.

She looked back down at Deidara, who wore a sly grin on his face. With another gasp, she lifted the covers and peered down between her legs. Only a pair of underwear and undershirt shielded her. Deidara only had his boxers.

"Don't worry," he scoffed, pulling the covers down, "we didn't do anything last night... unfortunately."

His attitude was a bit questionable, but his expression seemed to be clear of deceit. Tenten sighed with relief.

"Are you saying you don't want to sleep with me?" Deidara said, making a face. "I've never been so insulted!"

His childish little pout was cute, she had to admit, so she couldn't help but giggle a little and give him a light peck on the cheek.

"You know that's not what I meant," she said with a smile.

He gave her his sly grin again. "So then... you _want _to sleep with me, yeah?"

Tenten frowned. "That's not what I meant either."

"Ah, I kid!"

The corners of her mouth twitched, then turned back up into a smile as she laughed. Although his jokes were fraught with adult humor, he at least knew how to make her laugh. After all that'd happened the day before, it felt like she hadn't laughed in years.

It was a shame; she would really miss his corny jokes when she returned to Konoha. That's right, no more friendly interactions once she returned home. Tenten's smile faltered as she looked down at her hands. It had to be when they were finally beginning to get to know each other that she had to leave. Perhaps she should have asked Neji to request for more time.

Deidara seemed to notice her change in mood and placed both arms around her waist to pull her close.

"What are you pondering now?" he asked, lightly resting his chin on top of her head.

She laid her hands on top of his and thought for a moment. Instead of bringing up her feelings, she decided to clear a few things up.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" she asked, lazily running a finger over his arm.

"Hm? About what?"

"About... what happened yesterday."

When Deidara gave no reply, she turned around and looked up at his face, grasping his hands.

* * *

Stupid woman, asking a stupid question like that. How was he supposed to answer? _Oh yeah, the Boss already knew that you were a spy, so I didn't need to tell anyone, since they were already aware. _Hah, no chance. She'd probably leave on the spot. Whatever his answer would be, it couldn't let her know that everyone already knew of her true identity. That would just cause problems... and she'd be gone. In order to keep her safe from harm, she needed to remain ignorant.

"Er, yeah," he started, "Well, I didn't want the others to know..."

_Yeah, keep going_. He had to make something up, and he figured he was probably better off using emotional persuasion.

"... and I kept quiet so you'd be safe."

_Bingo! She'd better fall for it. _It wasn't that far from the truth anyway.

"I see," she said.

He saw a smile creep onto her face as she turned back around, pulling his arms over her shoulders.

The truth was that in order to keep the others from attacking her, he had to act as if nothing had happened. Whatever she was doing with that guy last night had to be kept from the Boss. Had they been planning something (and surely the others would suspect so) the Boss would order the elimination of Tenten. And, of course, that wouldn't be a good thing.

What_ was _she doing with him anyway? Well, besides sucking his face; that much was as clear as rain. But why would she be here with him if she had the other guy? She didn't seem like the type to want to just find some action away from home. There was only one way to find out.

"So, um... Who was that guy?"

"My boyfriend."

Her answer came as quick and frank as an arrow, and it hit him right in the heart. We're not talking about Cupid's arrow, by the way. This one hurt like hell.

"What?!" Deidara cried, pulling his arms away.

He found it strange that Tenten decided to giggle at his reaction. Maybe he was wrong about her. Maybe she _is _the type to fool around.

Folding his arms across his chest, he huffed. "I may be a skirt-chasing, S-ranked criminal bastard, but at least I have _some_ decency, yeah? I will not be involved in any scandalous affairs of yours!"

In the end, he'd become the fling, not her. What kind of a world was he living in? Even now, the dirty woman was climbing over him, expression full of mockery. Or... perhaps it wasn't mockery... but she was smiling! Even after she'd tricked him into thinking she was single and innocent.

Tenten put her hands on his chest and pushed him onto his back.

"You idiot, I was only joking," she laughed, "Do you really think I'm capable of cheating on someone?"

Deidara eyed her carefully. _Only a joke, huh? _Yeah, he had no reason to doubt it.

"I suppose you're right. You're much too innocent."

She gave him a bright smile and bent down to kiss him. The arrow of Hell immediately turned to Cupid's arrow. Oh, happy day, Lady Luck shined down on him this morning!

"I hope you don't mind me interrupting, but I'm afraid Leader is looking for you."

_Damn it all..._

Deidara grimaced and looked over Tenten's shoulder to see Hidan's ugly smirk. Damn Lady Luck and her cruel sense of humor. Why is that silver-headed idiot always intruding?

"Don't you know how to knock?" Deidara groaned as Tenten made her way off him and back into the covers.

"I thought I'd surprise you this morning," Hidan chortled, "but here _I_ am being the surprised one."

Leaning against the wall, he looked at Tenten and grinned. "I'm curious to know... Is Blondie really as good in bed as he says?"

For the first time in a while, Deidara blushed. "You son of a-"

"I wouldn't know," Tenten interrupted with a small smile.

"Yeah," Deidara added, "we only slept together!"

He clamped his mouth shut as soon as the last word escaped. Hidan gave him a smirk and Tenten looked at him with amused eyes. _Shit, that didn't come out right._

"It's all too clear you two slept together," Hidan mused. "I hope you used some sort of protection. We wouldn't want little Blondies running around."

Tenten smiled. "We are not intimate, sir."

"Wasting formalities on that jackass..."

"Deidara, that's enough," Zetsu said, walking into the room. "Hidan, you were told to come and inform Deidara to meet Leader. Have you done so?"

"Yeah, for the most part," Hidan said with a grin. "So there you have it, Blondie. Leader wants to see you."

"Okay, okay, I got it! Now will you guys leave?"

Zetsu's dark half smirked. "We'll leave you two... to continue."

Deidara huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Make sure you two learn how to knock, yeah?"

Hidan looked back and shot him one last smirk before walking out and closing the door behind him. The two were alone once again.

"I guess I need to go meet the Boss," Deidara mumbled.

He took Tenten's hands and landed a light kiss on each of them.

"Deidara," she whispered, looking up into his eyes, "I need to talk to you about something."

Hopefully, she wanted to clear up her relationship with the guy from last night, and Deidara wanted that to happen, too. But if he didn't show up in the Boss's room soon, he'd be in for another long lecture.

He took her face in his hands and kissed the tip her nose. "Meet me later, outside, around midnight. We'll talk then."

Tenten nodded briskly and got to her feet, throwing on her cloak. She gave him one last smile before disappearing out the door.

--  
**End Chapter 7  
--**

* * *

**A/N: **Ohh.... this took way too long. **:( **Not only that, it's also a short, short update. Sorry, guys, I just had to get it out, otherwise it would've just been left on my desktop gathering dust. Hope it's not too bad, or anti climatic. I might just turn back to this chapter and re-write it someday. Just not now. **xD**

I figured I'd do a little relationship developing between the two. Tenten has to get at least _a little_ love before leaving, right? **;) **

Hopefully chapter 8 will come by swifter and smoother. **:] **Remember to R&R! Reviews help me focus and develop better chapters. *wink wink*


	8. Distance

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ and all of its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

* * *

**Previously:** _Tenten wakes up, finding herself in the bed of an S-ranked criminal. But Deidara manages to show a softer, more innocent side of himself, giving her a chance to relax. After another rude interruption, they decide to meet again later to clear some things up._

**--  
****Chapter 8: Distance  
--**

Now that she was alone, her feelings were beginning to eat her inside-out. It had only been an hour or so and Tenten was already flipping out, wanting to tell him everything. Usually, when something like this happened, she had her female friends to rely on. As thickheaded as Ino and Sakura were, they were still good at comforting lovesick puppies. Temari was also a good, strong ear to complain to. But here, all she had was a schizophrenic plant and an ominous shadow of a leader to talk to—and neither of them were ideal for girl talk.

Tenten snorted aloud, picturing Leader and Zetsu dressed in pink pajamas, gossiping about cute guys and complaining about getting their nails broken. She'd have to put that image into Deidara's head later on. He'd surely get a laugh out of that.

She sighed and fell back into her pillows, feeling lazy. Zetsu had told her to sit back and relax today, for whatever reason, and she'd intended to take this time to try and pack up. Two weeks would fly by, and she was going to use all the time she had to prepare for departure. Yet, all she'd done so far was take a few weapons off the wall. Very productive.

What she was really doing was thinking about what to tell Deidara when the time came.

"Why am I such a girl?" she groaned, rolling onto her stomach and burying her face into the pillows.

There were so many things that needed to be said. For example, he probably needed reassurance that she and Neji were not together romantically. She also wanted to reiterate the fact that they were on opposite sides of the chess board, and that there was a problem of her needing to return to Konoha in _two weeks, _and how continuing a romantic relationship with him would be traitorous, dangerous, and inappropriate. Not just for her, but for him as well.

Tenten heaved a great sigh and sat back up, looking around at the walls surrounding her. It was probably a good idea to continue packing.

* * *

"So, did you discover anything new about Miss Kaiyan?" Leader asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Deidara shifted his weight and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Despite your assurance of her meeting with someone, I found her alone, merely taking a night stroll to clear her thoughts," he answered, also adding a hint of sarcasm to his tone.

He saw Leader's glowing eyes narrow with either amusement or annoyance. Neither one was a good sign.

"This doesn't mean I don't believe you about her being a Konoha spy, by the way," he continued after a moment of thick silence.

Leader kept silent, studying Deidara with his eerie eyes. Oh, how he hated those eyes; he hated them almost as much as he hated those dreadful Uchiha eyes. They made him feel vulnerable, exposed, and naked. It was as if Leader could read him like an open book, the way he looked at him.

"As much as I would like to continue this discussion," Leader said at last, breaking the awkward atmosphere, "that is not the reason I called you here. Instead, I wish to tell you that our next sealed demon has been located."

Deidara quirked a brow and frowned. _Another one? So soon? _He'd just gotten the pleasure of returning home and getting away from that dumbass Tobi, and now he was to be sent away again? What luck he had! He hadn't so much as kissed Kai, and he was going to be whisked away from his beloved.

_Well, that was corny, _he thought to himself as Leader continued to describe the three-tailed demon's appearance and location. _I'll have to be careful not to lose my cool disposition. _

--

After a long while of debriefing—and other assorted tasks—night finally came, and Deidara quickly made his way to the exit, throwing on his cape to shield his bare skin from the wind. As soon as he felt the night air blowing through his hair, he looked around. It seemed that Tenten had yet to arrive.

With one last glance around him, he continued forward, breaking into a run as soon as he passed a row of tall trees. The farther away from the base they were, the better. Soon he came to a small clearing, and he came to a halting stop, heels skidding across the grass. He turned around and dropped down under a tree, leaning against the wooden stump, and waited.

Some minutes passed, and Deidara felt a presence approaching. He studied the chakra flow and recognized it immediately. With a small smirk, he held a finger to his lips and formed a seal. She wouldn't find him yet.

He watched as Tenten came into view, stopping in her tracks as a confused expression came across her soft features. He knew she had lost track of him.

She turned her head a few times, looking around, searching for a sign of him. It was so amusing to watch; he knew she wouldn't be happy with him later. Before long, she seemed to have given up. She dropped to the ground and sighed, laying down on her back. Though he could no longer see her face, something about her told him she was troubled, and this troubled him.

He wondered what was going through her mind, what she was thinking about. He wondered what it would be like to wrap his arms around her whenever she was troubled without having to worry about who was watching.

As he thought, his jutsu slipped for a moment, and immediately Tenten sat up and looked in his direction.

"Ah, oops," he whispered against the leaves.

Deidara clenched his fists as he saw her approaching ominously. With a flash of annoyance in her eyes, her hand shot out and grabbed the collar of his cloak and pulled him from his hiding spot.

"G-good evening," he stuttered quickly, flailing his arms around a bit.

Tenten twisted her lips and shot him a look before pushing him back on the ground and flopping down beside him.

When he saw her little pout and pink cheeks, he grinned with realization. "You're embarrassed that I saw you in such a vulnerable state, yeah?"

"Shut up," she mumbled, bringing her knees to her chin.

Deidara's grin faltered as he watched her, still as vulnerable as before, but with a new invisible wall quickly building between them. His first impulse was to throw her on her back and kiss her senseless, but he immediately pushed back the idea and swallowed his desires. The next impulse was to take her hands and bring them to his lips, and that sounded perfectly suitable. And so he shifted his position and took her thin hands in his and brought them toward his face, pressing his lips to her white knuckles.

Tenten looked up at him and visibly fought the tears that came to her eyes. With her jaw trembling, she whispered his name.

His grip on her hands softened, then tightened again to show that she had his full attention. Whatever made her this troubled could count on the shit being beat out of it by him.

"Deidara," she whispered again, looking down at her hands in his, "I'm returning to Konoha."

His back stiffened as he inhaled sharply, eyes widening slowly.

* * *

Anyone would agree that one of the worst things to see in this world is the face of a loved one stricken with despair. Tenten agreed wholeheartedly with this as she watched the expression of her loved one change from one of worry to woe. It made her heart ache, and she could no longer hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

Though the tears fell, she made no sounds. All of her sniffles, sobs, and chokes were swallowed down as soon as they reached her throat. It was as if the woods around them disappeared, and all she could see was Deidara and his now void expression.

She wondered what he was thinking; she was afraid to ask. Instead, she took her hesitant hand and touched his cheek, lightly stroking his lower-lip with her thumb. Deidara drew back, looking up at her as if he'd just woken from a daze.

"Oh, sorry," he said, taking her hand and pressing it against his lips.

He closed his eyes and sighed against her fingertips.

"Everything just has to be so damn difficult, yeah?" he murmured.

Tenten cleared her throat, eyes wandering nervously to observe him. "Deidara..."

Her words disappeared from her throat as he gently pressed his lips against hers.

"Let's not waste what little time we have left, yeah?"

At times like this, it was extremely difficult to believe a person like him could show such softness. It was so surprising, all Tenten could do was reply with a little nod.

She was lucky to have met—and fallen in love with—someone like him. Deidara had all the qualities she could ever ask for: caring, strong, good humored, spontaneous... And the good looks were just a bonus. The only con going against him, which was quite possibly the worst bad quality in the world, was that he was born on the wrong side of fate.

"Do you need help packing?" Deidara asked, grinning light-heartedly.

Tenten blinked at him, and then, with a smile, replied, "I'll be fine."

* * *

Was it too much to ask to be happy for more than two minutes? Despite all the death and sorrow around him, Deidara finally realized that he'd still been living in a dream world. And with Tenten's too-serious-to-be-a-joke expression, his fantasy world crumbled, and the real world came crashing down on him.

All of this drama was making him think too deeply. Too much seriousness really was too much to bear. Deidara fished for a different topic as the silence between them grew thicker.

"You never did answer my question earlier," he mused after a moment.

He folded his arms across his chest and looked down at her in the corner of his eye. With her furrowed brows, she seemed to be replaying scenes in her mind, trying to figure out what he meant. Deidara grinned. Tenten was adorable when she was confused.

"Who was that guy I saw you with?"

He could almost see the realization hitting her in the face.

"Ah, well," she fumbled over her words and played with her hair.

Deidara's eyebrow twitched with sudden annoyance. _Wait a minute._ Girls only became flustered and played with their hair during a conversation for one reason, and one reason only. It meant that the object of their affections had come up in the conversation. _What. The. Hell._

"Tenten..." he uttered darkly, lowering his head, "Who was he?"

There was a quick moment when her flustered school girl expression changed into that of a worn, weathered woman. At that, Deidara's expression softened.

"Hyuuga Neji," she whispered, eyes closing, "was the first guy I fell in love with."

Really, was this girl _trying_ to get someone killed? She didn't have to reply so truthfully... And the way she said it... it was as if she regretted something. Could it be that she wished to be with this Neji guy?

Tenten's attention seemed to be directed toward her hands once again, and Deidara could feel the steam coming out of his ears. It's irritating how girls are always intent on getting guys jealous. It's even more irritating when it works.

He slid one arm under Tenten's legs, and put the other around her shoulders. With one swift heave, he took her into his lap and held her close, arms wrapped tightly around her petite waist. He felt her squirm.

"Ehh, what's wrong?" she asked in a timid voice.

"I want to hold a girl without screwing her senseless for once," he snorted. "Is that so wrong?"

He almost laughed aloud at her expression, but managed to maintain an indifferent expression. Her jealousy was clearly etched on her face.

"You better not treat me like those other women."

"What's the matter, jealous? I _am _a pretty popular guy when it comes to the ladies."

"Deidara!"

He closed his eyes and almost prepared for a slap. Nothing came. Peeking out of one eye, he smirked at her pout.

"Not a great feeling, is it?" he snorted again. "So stop talking about that idiot Neji like he's so amazing, yeah?"

There was a certain discomfort in his gut when her lips curved up into a wide grin.

"You were jealous?" she asked, poking him in the chest. "How cute!"

If there was a way to keep blushes away, Deidara wish he'd known it. As he turned away to keep her from seeing his embarrassment, he grunted an opposition.

Tenten leaned into his ear. "Do you love me?"

The discomfort in his gut grew threefold, and the burn reached his ears.

Her pout returned when he didn't answer. "Tell me you do... You did it before."

_That's because I was drunk and too tired to think straight!_

"Neji would've had told me he loved me," she mumbled with a little huff.

Deidara's mouth twitched, and his eyes narrowed. _She didn't. _A low growl followed a scowl, and he turned to Tenten's gloating smirk. _She did. _

Without further ado... Deidara pushed her out of his lap and onto her back, the blades of grass swaying back and forth around her figure. Her eyes were wide with surprise as he loomed over her, faces inches apart. How delighted it made him to see her look so helpless. There was no use hiding the hunger in his eyes as he leaned in, ravishing her lips with his own.

It seemed there was no corruption in the world evil enough to take away the sweetness in her taste.

"I love you," he breathed, leaning in again for another hungry taste of her lips.

There was no force strong enough to take away the feelings he felt for her.

"I love you with every inch of my horrid soul."

He paused and rested his forehead against hers, sighing as their eyes met. Deidara frowned, thinking he'd gone too far when he saw tears glistening in her eyes. Before he could attempt to apologize, Tenten took the initiative and pulled him in for a lighter, softer kiss.

"Thank you," she whispered, sending shivers down his spine.

With a strong embrace, Deidara came to realize that though they would be miles away—physically and accordingly to fate—they'd only really be a heartbeat away.

He smiled against Tenten's soft skin. _Beat that, Neji. _

**_--  
_End Chapter 8  
--**

* * *

**A/N: **Um, wow. Cliche end scene. **xD **My apologies to all the NejixTenten shippers out there.

Well, this took longer than I expected... but I got stuck near the end of the third page. **x_x **I was worried abbout being repetitive and moving too slowly, but I'm pretty satisfied with the end of this chapter. **:) **

I may or may not have mentioned this... but I recently discovered that Deidara had a more serious personality. **xD **Oops. Let's make him a bit OOC, then. Sorry Kishimoto; I have failed you. Lawl.

R&R GAIZ! I need your support as the story draws to a close (in the nearby future...?)


	9. Goodbye

******Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto _or any of Kishimoto's characters

_**Previously:** Tenten and Deidara finally find a chance to sit down and talk. She tells him her plan for departure, and he comes to realize more about what he feels. _

* * *

**-  
****Chapter 9: **Goodbye**  
-**

For the next week and a half, Tenten pushed all thoughts of guilt, hesitation, and confusion out of her mind. Up until now, she'd been distracted by _him—_his scent, his warmth, the taste of his affection. But she knew that she was being foolish, for in only a few days she would escape from Akatsuki's invisible grasp and leave her undercover life forever. How could she allow her mind to dwell on love—let alone a relationship with a criminal—when her very neck was on the line?

While she silently reprimanded herself on her lack of priorities, she also found herself thankful for Deidara. Through their last meeting in the forest, before he left on his current demon hunt, he drove away whatever doubt Tenten had concerning his intentions. Because he was able to ease her weary, tortured mind with his trust, she was now able to focus on returning home. As she secured the final points of her escape plan, Tenten wished only for success and the chance to say goodbye to him. Once home, she would never see him through enamored eyes again; they would be enemies on opposite sides of the chess board until the end, with only a dark secret kept within their hearts to suggest otherwise. But that didn't upset her now—she'd come to terms with this inevitable conclusion, and there was no way out of it.

As she hunched over her desk, recreating scenes of escape in her head, a short rap at the door broke through her thoughts. She turned to face Zetsu, who radiated both solemn and contemptuous tones as he spoke.

"Leader wishes to speak to you," he hummed, eyes boring holes through her emotional disguise. "It is urgent."

The undertone of his manner of speaking was neither comforting nor promising. In fact, she couldn't make out his intentions at all, and his silent mocking expression worsened her increasing anxiety. She prayed that it was just paranoia getting to her.

"Yes, of course," she replied, approaching him. "Please, lead the way."

Giving a curt nod, he turned on his heel and retreated into the hallway with Tenten following close behind. Silence began to take its hold on the two as they walked, and she could do nothing but calm herself for this meeting. If she blew it now, everything would be ruined. Play it cool, she told herself. Act natural, like nothing's wrong. Before long they reached the great doors to Leader's quarters. She could all but swallow her fear and enter.

"You requested my presence?" Her head hung low with feigned respect, and even as she raised her chin, her eyes kept to the floor.

"Yes, my dear Kaiyan." She could almost hear him laughing within the shadows. "Are you aware of your colleagues' current whereabouts?"

Her eyes flickered up with slight panic. "You are referring to Deidara?"

His low chuckle resonated through the darkness, suggesting that he knew of their poorly-guarded relationship. "No, not Deidara. I speak of Kakuzu and Hidan. Are you aware of their situation?"

"I daresay I do not."

Another chuckle, this time accompanied by Zetsu. "They are dead, deceased, incapacitated." Though the darkness enveloped his entire being, she knew he was sneering at her.

In the silence that ensued, Zetsu took advantage of her plain discomfort and chimed in. "Of course, they didn't leave empty-handed. No, they managed to destroy the late Hokage's son, Sarutobi Asuma. How his students mourned." He finished his statement with a hissing cackle.

Tenten sincerely hoped that they were just as blind as she in this darkness, for she knew her face was now stricken with panic, no matter how she tried to mask it. After taking the life of a great ninja, they mocked his final hour and slandered his existence—they spat in his students' pain. As she attempted to regain her composure, she clenched her fists and bit into her lip, drawing enough blood to combat her impending tears. How could anyone be so cruel?

Continuing his silent torture, Leader peered at her through narrow eyes. "I require that you join the battlefield against the pathetic existence of incapable ninja who inhabit my world."

He was toying with her, she knew, but now was no time to lose her cool. Only a few days more, and she'll be at home with her friends, comforting them for their loss of a great mentor. A few days more and she'll be out of this nightmare, helping her true comrades destroy these beasts of Hell.

"I understand," she spat, forcing the words through her clenched teeth.

"Very well, you are dismissed. Zetsu will escort you to your room and explain the details of your mission."

"I understand," she repeated. Without another word, she sent a caustic glare in Leader's direction and turned to leave, following Zetsu as he proceeded through the doors and into the empty halls that now strangled her very existence.

* * *

That night, when Zetsu delivered Tenten to her room, he merely snickered at her before easing the door shut as he left. With no mention of her mission and no intention of returning to brief her, that was the last she saw of him. She was alone—perhaps more so than ever before—knowing that there were no details to discuss, because she had no mission. Her cover was blown, and all they saw in her now was a sad, sniveling Konoha mouse waiting to run. For the first time in her life, she climbed into bed drenched in the smell of fear and defeat. Burying her shame into the pillows, she forced her eyes shut and attempted to sleep, too lost in despair to cry.

_You failed, _her mind hissed. _You're a failure who can't help anyone. You let a criminal distract you from the truth, and now you're not even there to fight alongside your comrades._

"It's not true," she assured herself, trying to rebuild her confidence. "This was unavoidable. I made no mistakes."

Drawing her knees to her chest, Tenten threw aside the pillows and flipped over to stare at the stone ceiling. If sleep refuses to come to her, then she'd wait.

For how long she lay in that position, she didn't know. But as soon as her mind drifted and her eyes sagged, a shuffling noise at her feet startled her into a stiff, upright position. Her hands delved into the pillows, groping for the decorated dagger. As soon as her fingers met its cold touch, she pulled it to her chin in a striking position. Growing quiet, her eyes strained to adjust to the darkness, just in time to catch a subtle movement at the foot of her bed.

"Who's there?" she demanded, keeping her voice low.

At the sound of her voice, the intruder stumbled into the covers and grabbed for her hands, attempting to stop her from struggling. Before she knew it, a strong arm was looped over her waist, and a calloused hand clamped down on her mouth, muffling her strained grunts until her erratic movements slowed. When she felt a quick flick of a tongue against her dry lips, she realized.

"Deidara."

He slid his hand from her lips to caress her cheek. "Bingo."

For a moment she was captivated by his presence again, drawn in to his enthralling scent. But right as he leaned in to claim her lips, she mustered her courage and shoved him away, gripping her dagger once again. She wasn't about fall for it now.

"You lied to me," she growled, pointing the tip of her blade to his neck. "You outed me, blew my cover."

By now her eyes had long adjusted to the darkness surrounding them. Even with a cascade of shadows enveloping his features, she saw his clear eyes widen.

"I knew it," she breathed, voice too broken for proper speech. "Yet I fell for it all. And because of my idiocy, I failed to provide adequate information to my country. Now my comrades are in danger, and my close friends' sensei is dead."

Though her words were full of strength, her voice faltered and her hands began to shake. She choked through the bitter tears that fell from her tired eyes, and she made no attempt to struggle when he pushed away her dagger and enveloped her trembling body in his arms.

"I never lied," he whispered, stroking her hair to calm her. How she shook and sobbed into his shoulder, silently pleading for comfort and reassurance. "I care about you; all I wanted was to keep you safe." He drew away and held her chin up, forcing her eyes into his. "Leave, Tenten—Tonight, if you can. I'll make sure you walk out of here untouched."

All she could muster was a numb nod of the head as he pulled her into another tight embrace. Doubt and hesitation washed over her again, but she was too exhausted to pay it any mind. If anything, her heart saw his sincerity through his eyes—felt it through his careful caress. If he was deceiving her again, she couldn't see it.

"Come with me." She pulled away and met his gaze. Her heart screamed for him, praying for a way to let them stay together. "The Hokage will see reason," she continued between panicked sobs. When she saw his eyes glint with an amused sorrow, the ache in her heart doubled. "Once she sees your loyalty to me, she will show you mercy!"

Silence took them as he stroked her hand with his thumb. "Would she?" he asked at last.

The answer to that question was all too clear, and she saw that he knew it was impossible. Desperation clouded her perception, but she clung to what little hope that lingered in her heart. But the die was cast—what good was hope against the inevitable? Her gaze fell as she lowered her voice. "I don't want to leave you."

"What, you feelin' sorry for me now?" He threw back his head in laughter, hoping to ease the tension. Seeing her with the same stricken expression on her face, he pulled her into his lap and cradled her, resting his forehead on her shoulder. "You came into my life too late," he murmured. "I'm cursed by the darkness, and there's no saving me." With a sigh, she felt his breath on her skin as he took in her scent, tickling her neck, acting as if he would never be able to hold her again. "At least give me the satisfaction of staying pure. You don't need me as a mark on your soul, yeah?"

In that moment, with unshed tears flooding her eyes, Tenten stripped the revolting blood-stained cloak from his body, freeing him from his brand, and pushed herself against him in desperation. She pressed her hungry lips against his and tore at his shirt, as if she were intent on devouring him. Sensing her ravenous desire, he returned with full force and pulled her under his body, trapping her between his legs as he ran his hands over her frame. His fingers left her skin tingling as they traced every curve of her body, and she couldn't hold back her bittersweet tears.

As his hands glided through her clothes to caress her burning skin, he kissed away her tears and nuzzled against her stained cheek.

"Take me away," she whispered, tickling his ear with her hot breath. When he nodded his response, she draped her arms over his neck and pulled him in, yearning for the touch of his body.

That night, among the grief and guilt she felt for her country, she experienced the most gratifying sense of vulnerability through her body. With Deidara's patience and tender kisses, the physical and mental pain that coursed through Tenten subsided until she felt that, for the rest of their time together, she could forget about her fear for the future. Knowing what was to come, she cherished their final moments in each others' embrace.

**_-  
_End Chapter 9  
-**

* * *

**A/N: **Surprise! Who missed me? :D That is, unless you were keeping up with Love Coach, you know I was never gone...

Anyway, with over two years of hiatus, here I am. I worked all day for two days to get this short chapter out for any faithful _Assignment _readers. If you notice, my style has long since matured, and I hope your reading experience from now on is much, much more enjoyable. I had it in my mind to go back and rewrite all the older chapters but... Alas, I no longer have interest in this story. :( But fear not, I will finish this. I hate to leave things unfinished.

Help me rekindle my interest by **R&Ring? **:')**  
**


	10. Betrayed

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto _or any of Kishimoto's characters.

**Previously:** _Upon learning of Asuma's death, Tenten breaks down and realizes that her cover is blown. Fearing for her life, she prepares for an immediate leave, but not without saying goodbye to Deidara by giving his most precious gift._

Before the sun rose the following morning to warm the peaks of the tall trees huddling around the Akatsuki base, Tenten was gone. While her touch still tingled on his skin and her scent lingered faintly in the empty bed, Deidara knew that the lack of her physical person was beginning to leave a hole in whatever was left of his heart. As the hours dragged on, he refused to leave her room, determined to trap her presence with him.

Settling himself on the edge of the bed, he stared across the scattered pillows at the empty space behind him, imagining her small frame laying there within an arm's reach. His hand traced the outline of her figure on the sheets, finding traces of her hair here and there. If he closed his eyes and imagined hard enough, he could almost hear her soft breathing. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he turned away from his fantasy and directed his attention towards the ceiling, her voice echoing in his ears.

"_I don't regret it,"_ she had whispered, _"I'll never never forget what we shared."_

Somewhere in his mind Deidara knew she would move on and forget about him, about what little time they had to experience each other. She had others to live for—her friends, her teammates, even that boy who came to find her that night. She had all of these distractions to pry her thoughts from their lost relationship, and Deidara had nothing. The thought of Tenten purging him from her mind pierced his heart, more than he wanted to believe, unable to fully accept that he was doomed to lose her forever.

"Life's not fair," he muttered, a bitter smile splitting across his features. "Especially for us bad guys."

_But I guess that's what we get._

Lost in his bitter thoughts, he failed to notice Zetsu's sudden presence in the doorway, an amused stare settling in his beady yellow gaze.

"So I see the little Konoha bird has fled. Perhaps to return to her little cage in that Hyuuga's bed? She must be thrilled to be home where she belongs instead of with a degenerate like yourself." A smirk stretched across Zetsu's black and white skin. "I've never seen you so dejected, Deidara. She had you wrapped around her little finger, didn't she?" He chuckled, unflinching at the sight of Deidara's murderous glare.

"Leave me alone, you two-faced vegetable. Nobody asked for your opinion, yeah?"

"Why, that's no way to speak to the _vegetable _who just saved your little bird's life. Tobi was looking forward to dealing with her too. Had I known you were going to be so ungrateful..." He turned from the blond and pretended to think. "Surely it's not too late—"

Deidara's eyes narrowed. "I'd cut your throat before your mouth could even open to issue the command."

The smirk on Zetsu's face widened at the sudden outburst as he basked in the pain written across the blond's features. "Don't worry your smitten little head; she's not worth the trouble. Besides, Leader wanted to send her home as a little warning. Of course, _I _thought it more appropriate to send a head and nothing else, but Leader was feeling generous for your sake."

Deidara grew tired of glaring and turned away. "That's fucked up. You're all monsters."

Zetsu lowered his gaze and chuckled. "_We're_ all monsters, you mean. You're no better than the rest of us, Blondie, and no innocent little girl will ever change that." He turned towards the door and took a step to leave. "By this time next week you'll be bombing the life out of her weak little friends with no mercy at all. Don't waste your energy trying to convince yourself otherwise."

The blond opened his mouth to deny it, but he found that he had no words to say. He had no argument to offer, no example to give. _Why couldn't he think of anything?_ Deep down, under his tough-guy facade, the coward in him knew that Zetsu was right. Murdering innocent people, churning the hearts of honorable nin—that's all he knew in life. He had nothing else to live for since giving his body and soul to the Devil. And now that he was sure that Tenten would never return to his side and remain in his life, why did he even try to struggle? He was a murderer. Anyone who tried to tell him otherwise knew nothing about him, and there was no denying it.

As if reading Deidara's mind, Zetsu wrinkled his nose in amusement, knowing full well who'd won between the two. He'd come to Deidara to reinstate the murderous intent in his comrade's heart, and he knew that the bitterness and resentment that would fill the empty space left behind by that girl would fuel the blond further to eradicate everything and everyone placed in his path. Zetsu understood that it was just as Leader intended: to have this spying Konoha rat unwittingly instill wrath in Deidara's predisposed heart. _Oh, how love and affection proved time and time again to be the deadliest weapon. _

Zetsu retreated from the room, leaving Deidara, with his head hung low in grief, to feed the emptiness within himself. It was time to allow the hatred to fester, and Zetsu looked forward to discussing with Leader the plans for taking advantage of the blond's sensitive state and unleashing him unto Konoha.

"It's only a matter of time," he whispered, closing the door behind him with a smirk. "Time to put our plan into motion."

Days turned into weeks, and as Zetsu predicted, Deidara's insatiable longing for Tenten's touch slowly festered and rotted into bitter resentment. Words could not express the anger and frustration that overcame his thoughts at the very mention of Konoha or the Nine-Tailed Fox. Everything he saw, heard, felt reminded him of the woman who returned life to his dying heart before cruelly ripping it to shreds without a single backwards glance. The more he tried to remember the blissful times they shared, the more deceit he saw in her words and actions.

_That was just it, wasn't it? The wretched whore felt that her position was compromised and that she was in danger. _So she seduced him with kindness and understanding, and a love he thought he would never experience in his lifetime. And in return, he gave her everything she needed to escape unscathed. He told her when to leave, where to go, how to remain undetected. He laid his heart out on a platter, and she swallowed it whole. It took him this long to realize what a fool he was, the way he spoke to her and did everything in his power to ensure her safety. He saw now how disgustingly naïve he was.

Even now, she was probably with that long-haired, Byakugan fool, snickering and gloating over his foolishness. She probably described in detail the amount of gullible stupidity he exhibited in her presence as the Hyuuga ravished her. The very thought of that man running his hands over her body—the once pure form that Deidara once held in his own arms—was too much for him to bear.

"I'll kill him," he grumbled, visualizing his hands grasping at the man's neck, choking the life out of his Byakugan eyes as Tenten watched pathetic and helpless at the side. "I'll kill all of them."

The lips on his hands twitched with fury, and the thought of fresh Konoha blood on his hands caused their excited tongues to flick in and out, undulating in anticipation. He could almost taste the satisfaction. Zetsu mentioned that Leader's plans to attack Konoha to steal the Nine-Tailed Fox would arrive soon enough. At that point, he ensured Deidara that he would be able to exact his revenge as much as he liked. But even that assurance wasn't good enough for the blond now. No, he couldn't wait to see the pain in her eyes...

And who could blame him? He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to think that Zetsu's manipulative chatter about Tenten whoring herself to all the men in Konoha was true. But all the time alone left Deidara to think. And think some more. By the end of the month, three weeks since her departure, he could see nothing but deceit in the time he spent with her. He couldn't stand the thought of exposing so much of his vulnerability to her, only to have his efforts used and thrown away like toilet paper. In truth, he just wanted to end it all right then and there. Her, the Hyuuga, their wretched Konoha village—Everything. If she was going to leave a hole in his heart after all he'd done for her, then he'd fill it back up with hatred and carve a hole into hers, one loved one at a time until she begged him to stop. A small, twisted smile graced his dark features as he imagined the horrors he would force onto the quiet village. Whatever it took to numb the pain that now enveloped his entire being.

The more his mind continued to fill itself with fantasies about ripping her and her precious village apart, the more his blood itched at the thought of having to wait to whet his appetite for destruction. What exactly was he waiting for? Her approval to kill? As if he needed her or Leader's permission. The blond smirked to himself as it dawned upon him: He could go see her whenever he wished. Akatsuki didn't control him. In fact, it was probably what Leader wanted anyway. Just a little bit of extra chaos, off the record. There was nothing to hold him back, and he was going to take advantage of this convenient revelation.

"Now is the time," he murmured, lifting himself to his feet to throw on his tattered cloak. Tenten saw it as a cursed marking, but he now wore proudly it as a title. He was Akatsuki, a harbinger of death. "Time to pay my beloved Tenten a visit."

Deidara took off in a hurry, not bothering to stop and let the other members in on his little surprise day trip to Konoha. He could care less if Zetsu or Leader wanted him to wait before attacking, and he didn't want any of the others stealing his fun. They were criminals and cutthroats after all—they didn't need an agenda. He only needed his drive to kill and his loathing for humankind to do what he needed.

Picking up his pace, with his heart thumping heavily against his chest, the only thing that filled his mind was her face. He was already beginning to forget what she looked like. For whatever reason, his lips curled into a deep frown, and he couldn't shake the growing feeling of misery in his gut. The one thing he did remember, and perhaps the one thing he wished he could forget, was her eyes. They carried the color of soft honey with a tinge of glittering amber. Her eyes were disgustingly beautiful, and he wanted nothing more than to see them fill to the brim with bitter, anguished tears. It was only fair after what she did to him.

… Right?

Yeah, of course. The lying, sweet-talking wench had it coming to her. He'd seen kunoichi like her who were trained to seduce men for information. From visiting the brothels so often that he practically lived there, he'd seen it much too often. It was a wonder he didn't see it sooner. Hell, it was probably Tenten's mission to infiltrate Akatsuki and sink her venomous fangs into the most gullible member to suck his soul dry. Not that any of them had souls to begin with. And to prove his soullessness—somewhat to himself, because he refused to allow a mere woman to change him—Deidara decided to venture on this happy little trip to Konoha and leave it in bloody disrepair. It would be a sight to see. That he could promise.

As if on cue, the boisterous gates of Konoha village peeked through the thick black trees, and the monumental carvings of the previous Hokages greeted Deidara over the modest rooftops of unsuspecting villagers. He took to a slow trot as he climbed through the fallen branches and trees to reach the empty clearing that hugged the village gates. With a smirk, he proceeded through the clearing with confident steps, not at all fazed by few guards who were steadily becoming wary of his sudden intrusion.

A low scoff escaped his dry lips as he eyed the gates. _Not one of you little ants have any chance against me. _His narrowed eyes scoured the walls for the poor souls who would be the first of many, many innocent victims to die. _No one can keep me from exacting my revenge._ Each of his long strides brought him ever closer to seeing his dearest Tenten again. After days—weeks of aching for her.

At the very foot of the gate, as it towered over him, Deidara stopped, taking deep breaths to calm his impending bloodlust. He looked up at the closest Konoha guard, a sadistic smile plastered to his pale face.

"No one can keep me from _her._"


End file.
